West Bengal BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya demands second round of SIR to purge bogus voters
Synopsis
West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya is demanding a second special intensive revision of electoral rolls, alleging that TMC interference — including attacks on officials and destruction of forms — made the first round incomplete. With opposition parties simultaneously marching against CEC Gyanesh Kumar in New Delhi, the SIR dispute is shaping into a full-blown pre-election flashpoint.
Key Takeaways
West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya demanded a second round of special intensive revision ( SIR ) on 31 October 2026 .
He cited the detection of fake health insurance cards for around 25 lakh holders as evidence that bogus voter entries remain in the system.
Bhattacharya alleged TMC obstructed the first SIR through attacks on officials, intimidation of Anganwadi and ASHA workers, and destruction of BJP workers' forms.
He defended Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar , crediting him with delivering violence-free assembly elections in the state.
Opposition parties have united in New Delhi to protest against the SIR process and demand Kumar's removal, a movement Bhattacharya publicly ridiculed.
West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president and Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya on Saturday, 31 October 2026, called for a fresh round of special intensive revision (SIR) in the state, arguing that the first exercise left a significant number of bogus voters on electoral rolls. Speaking to reporters in Kolkata, Bhattacharya said the earlier SIR was incomplete and that a second revision was essential to clean up the voters' list.
Why Bhattacharya Says the First SIR Was Incomplete
The BJP leader pointed to the detection of fake health insurance cards as evidence that fraudulent entries persist in the system. 'The SIR that has already been conducted in West Bengal is incomplete. On behalf of the party, I want to say that there is a need for a new SIR in West Bengal. The way fake cards of around 25 lakh health insurance cardholders have been identified, it is clear that the names of more bogus voters would have been deleted in the first round of SIR,' Bhattacharya said.
Obstacles Alleged During the Earlier Exercise
Bhattacharya alleged that the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the state administration obstructed the first SIR at every step. He cited a range of incidents to support this claim. 'Had the BDO not been attacked today, if the rights of Anganwadi workers had not been taken away, had they not been forced to commit suicide, had not the husband of an ASHA worker been shot, had not forms been snatched from every BJP worker and set on fire, more names would have been excluded from the voter's list in the already conducted SIR. So, the SIR process was incomplete then, and hence there is a requirement for another round of revision exercise,' he said. The TMC government has not yet responded publicly to these specific allegations.
Bhattacharya Hits Back at Opposition Protest Over CEC
The BJP leader's remarks come as principal opposition parties have converged in New Delhi to mount a sustained agitation demanding both a fresh SIR review and the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Bhattacharya dismissed those protests, defending Kumar's conduct. 'Many are protesting against Gyanesh Kumar. Who are they protesting against? In West Bengal, the common people are worshipping Kumar. West Bengal has not seen such violence-free, bloodshed-free and peaceful elections for so many years, as it witnessed in the assembly elections earlier this year,' he said.
Significance and Context
The SIR, conducted under Election Commission of India (ECI) oversight, was aimed at weeding out duplicate, deceased, and ineligible entries from electoral rolls ahead of scheduled elections. West Bengal has historically recorded contested voter-list disputes between the ruling TMC and opposition parties, with each side accusing the other of manipulating rolls. Bhattacharya's demand for a second SIR escalates the BJP's electoral-integrity narrative in a state it has repeatedly identified as a priority battleground. This comes amid a broader national debate over ECI's independence, with the opposition's New Delhi gathering signalling that the SIR controversy is unlikely to fade before the next electoral cycle.
Point of View
The BJP advances a narrative that positions the ruling party as an obstacle to democratic integrity — useful currency in a state where booth-level violence has defined elections for decades. The timing is equally deliberate: with the national opposition rallying around the removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar, Bhattacharya's defence of Kumar and simultaneous call for more rigorous revision drives a wedge between local voter sentiment and the all-India opposition line. What remains unverified is the scale of bogus entries that actually survived the first round — a number that would determine whether this is a legitimate governance demand or a pre-poll positioning exercise.
NationPress
31 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the special intensive revision (SIR) of voter rolls in West Bengal?
The SIR is an Election Commission of India exercise to identify and remove ineligible, duplicate, or deceased entries from electoral rolls. In West Bengal, a round was conducted ahead of the recent assembly elections, but BJP president Samik Bhattacharya has argued it was left incomplete due to alleged TMC interference.
Why is Samik Bhattacharya demanding a second SIR in West Bengal?
Bhattacharya claims the first SIR was disrupted by alleged attacks on officials, intimidation of field workers such as Anganwadi and ASHA workers, and destruction of BJP workers' forms. He also cited the identification of fake health insurance cards for around 25 lakh people as evidence that fraudulent voter entries likely remain on the rolls.
Who is Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and why is he controversial?
Gyanesh Kumar is India's Chief Election Commissioner and has been at the centre of a controversy, with several opposition parties demanding his removal over the SIR exercise. Bhattacharya, by contrast, praised Kumar, crediting him with overseeing the most peaceful assembly elections West Bengal has seen in years.
What is the opposition doing in New Delhi over the SIR issue?
Principal opposition parties have converged in New Delhi to stage a sustained protest demanding both a review of the SIR process and the removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar. Bhattacharya dismissed this agitation, saying West Bengal's voters view Kumar positively given the violence-free nature of recent elections.
How does this fit into the broader political picture in West Bengal?
West Bengal has a long history of disputed voter rolls and electoral violence, making voter-list integrity a charged issue before every election cycle. The BJP's call for a second SIR adds to an ongoing confrontation with the ruling TMC, and comes at a moment when the SIR controversy has already gone national with opposition parties mobilising in New Delhi.
