Did the ECI Approve a Meeting with Trinamool Congress Delegation?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- ECI meeting scheduled for November 28
- Discussion to include Special Intensive Revision
- Mamata Banerjee raises concerns regarding ECI proposals
- BJP defends ECI's standard practices
- Importance of political dialogue emphasized
Kolkata, Nov 25 (NationPress) The Election Commission of India (ECI) has sent a communication to West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress leader, Mamata Banerjee, approving a meeting with a party delegation to address several topics, including the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) undertaken by the commission in the state.
The correspondence from ECI's Secretary, Ashwani Kumar Mohal, was directed to Banerjee as the party chief and was delivered to her official residence on Harish Chatterjee Street in south Kolkata.
In the message, the commission has scheduled the meeting for 11 a.m. on November 28 with the Trinamool delegation. This letter served as a response to a previous request made by the leader of Trinamool’s Parliamentary Party in the Rajya Sabha, Derek O'Brien, seeking a meeting with senior ECI officials.
The ECI Secretary emphasized in the letter that the commission is always open to regular engagement with political parties to foster constructive dialogue.
"Thus, the Commission has evaluated the party's request and arranged for a meeting with the delegation of All India Trinamool Congress, which includes the Party's Authorized Representative along with four additional members, scheduled for 11:00 AM on 28.11.2025 (Friday) at Nirvachan Sadan, Ashoka Road, New Delhi," the letter stated.
Interestingly, on Monday, the Chief Minister addressed a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar objecting to two recent proposals from the ECI—one regarding the separate appointment of data-entry operators for the ongoing SIR in the state and the other concerning the selection of polling stations for the upcoming Assembly elections next year.
BJP’s Information Technology Cell chief and the party's central observer for West Bengal, Amit Malviya, responded to the Chief Minister's letter to the CEC, asserting that the ECI’s plan to hire data entry operators and software developers for a year amid the ongoing SIR in West Bengal is not unique to the state but is being implemented in all states and Union Territories where similar revision activities are underway.