The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Tuesday (Feb 3) indicated that it would reach out to other political parties to explore the possibility of initiating impeachment proceedings against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, escalating its standoff with the Election Commission over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal ahead of the crucial Assembly elections.
Party sources quoted in media, said the move follows a sharp and tense face-off between West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the top leadership of the Election Commission during a meeting at the poll body’s Delhi office on Monday (Feb 2). The development has fuelled speculation within political circles over whether the impeachment pitch is a genuine constitutional concern or a calculated political strategy by the TMC and its Opposition partners, including the Congress, to mount pressure on the constitutional authority.
Confirming the party’s stand, senior TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee told reporters in Delhi that the manner in which the SIR exercise was being conducted was “incorrect” and posed serious risks to voters’ rights.
“We are considering impeachment of the Chief Election Commissioner because of the way the SIR is being carried out. It affects the voting rights of every citizen. We will consult other Opposition parties on this issue,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee addressed a press conference accusing the Election Commission of selectively targeting constituencies represented by Trinamool MLAs under the guise of voter list revision. She alleged that BJP-held constituencies saw deletions of only 3,000 to 4,000 voters, while seats held by the TMC witnessed deletions ranging from 40,000 to as many as one lakh names.
Citing her own Bhabanipur constituency in south Kolkata, Banerjee claimed that nearly 40,000 names had already been removed from the draft electoral rolls, with the final number likely to touch one lakh. She further alleged that around 58 lakh names had been deleted from the draft voter list across the state without adequate consultation with electoral registration officers.
The impeachment talk has also revived debates within the opposition INDIA bloc, suggesting that the Congress and other allies are being sounded out to present a united front against the Election Commission.
Under constitutional provisions, impeachment of the Chief Election Commissioner requires a motion in Parliament backed by a substantial majority, making the process legally and politically arduous.
The Election Commission, however, has firmly rejected allegations of bias, maintaining that the SIR is a constitutionally mandated exercise aimed at ensuring accurate, updated and clean electoral rolls. Officials have repeatedly stressed that the revision process follows established legal procedures and applies uniformly across constituencies.
Sources familiar with Monday’s meeting said the interaction between the Bengal chief minister and Election Commission officials was tense, with Banerjee making repeated allegations, while the Commission’s top officials maintained restraint and explained the statutory framework governing the SIR process. They also cautioned against any form of pressure or interference, warning that vandalism of poll offices or obstruction of officials would invite strict legal action.
Reacting sharply, BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, dismissed Mamata Banerjee’s Delhi visit and the impeachment talk as “dramabazi,” accusing the TMC of attempting to undermine a constitutional body to suit its electoral narrative.
With Assembly elections drawing closer, the dispute over the SIR exercise and the Opposition’s impeachment rhetoric is expected to remain a major political flashpoint, intensifying the battle lines between the ruling TMC, its Opposition allies like the Congress, and the Election Commission.
