New Delhi, Dec 17 (NationPress) The Congress party has called upon West Bengal Governor C.V. Anand Bose to elucidate his reasons for promoting the Special Intensive Review (SIR) process. They raised concerns about whether his statements might be driven by any political aspirations.

The party further inquired if the Governor has intentions of running for office, hinting that this could underpin his public discourse on the matter.

This response follows Governor Bose's assertion that the SIR initiative has contributed to expelling Bangladeshi infiltrators from West Bengal since its inception.

In a discussion with IANS, the Governor remarked that the SIR process is poised to effect change in the upcoming Bengal Assembly elections and aims to purify the system amidst an observed reduction of illegal immigrants. He acknowledged, however, that the issue will not be entirely resolved.

In reaction to these statements, the Congress demanded clarity on the current number of Bangladeshi infiltrators still inhabiting the state.

Senior Congress figure Rashid Alvi, in conversation with IANS, stated, "The Governor C.V. Bose should clarify if any Bangladeshi immigrants remain. It is crucial that the same narrative about illegal migrants is not repeated in the upcoming elections. Why does the Governor feel compelled to advocate for SIR? Is he preparing to contest elections or assisting the BJP?"

Alvi also recalled recent comments from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath regarding the SIR process, where he indicated that nearly four crore voters were missing during the ongoing SIR of electoral rolls in the state. CM Yogi urged party members to connect with every voter at the booth level to ensure their enumeration.

Responding to this, Alvi remarked, "Hasn't the Bengal Governor taken note of Yogi Adityanath's statement that four crore votes were deleted due to SIR? He indicated that the SIR is flawed. Until now, only we, the Opposition, have voiced these concerns. Now, even a prominent leader from their own party has echoed the same sentiments."

Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat also questioned the Governor's role, asking if any formal reports had been submitted to the President regarding the alleged infiltration issue.

"Has the Governor submitted any report to the President? If such incidents were occurring, the President would need to be informed. Did he provide any internal report? How many intruders are there?" Bhagat questioned.

Meanwhile, the BJP has voiced its support for the West Bengal Governor's assertions, claiming that there has indeed been a significant outflow of Bangladeshi infiltrators since the SIR process commenced.

BJP spokesperson Pratul Shah Deo remarked to IANS, "He is correct. One clear outcome is that since SIR began, illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators have been returning to Bangladesh. This creates the necessary deterrence."

Moreover, he noted, "It is unfortunate that the highest discrepancies under SIR surfaced in Mamata Banerjee's constituency, where the most individuals were removed. This clearly suggests that there was an effort by the government to provide state support to infiltrators in West Bengal."

The Bengal SIR initiative began on December 4 and concluded on December 11, resulting in a noticeable exodus of illegal Bangladeshis and protests from booth-level officers (BLOs) due to strict deadlines and work pressures.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has unveiled the draft electoral rolls for the upcoming elections in West Bengal, following the contentious SIR process, which has flagged over 58 lakh voter names for removal.

This issuance marks the end of the enumeration phase and the commencement of a more complex process involving claims, objections, and hearings.

The second phase of the three-part SIR exercise is set to continue until February 2026, with the final voters' list expected to be released on February 14, 2026, in preparation for the Bengal Assembly elections.

According to data from the ECI, a total of 58,20,898 voter names have been marked for deletion, including approximately 24,16,852 electors deemed deceased, 19,88,076 voters who have either moved permanently or migrated, 12,20,038 voters categorized as missing, and 1,38,328 names identified as duplicates, false, or bogus entries. Additionally, 57,604 names have been recommended for removal due to "other reasons".