Mamata Banerjee accuses CEC Gyanesh Kumar of hijacking India's election process
Synopsis
Mamata Banerjee didn't just attack the CEC — she named names, cited constituency-level data, and alleged that 18 BLOs died by suicide amid the electoral roll controversy. Her charge that India's election machinery has been 'centralised' to serve the BJP marks the sharpest direct assault on the ECI's institutional independence by a sitting opposition leader this year.
Key Takeaways
Mamata Banerjee alleged at a New Delhi press conference on 1 October 2026 that India's election process has been 'hijacked' and 'centralised' to favour the BJP -led Centre.
She accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and ECI IT Director General Seema Khanna of hijacking the counting process in West Bengal .
Banerjee claimed 3.5 lakh voters were deleted from West Bengal's electoral rolls between 2021 and 2026 , predominantly in TMC-won constituencies.
She alleged 18 Booth Level Officers (BLOs) died by suicide amid the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) controversy.
She called the 2023 immunity law for election commissioners illegitimate, noting it was passed when 147 MPs were suspended from Parliament.
The Election Commission of India had not issued a formal response at the time of the press conference.
All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief and former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday, 1 October 2026, launched a scathing attack on Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar at a press conference in New Delhi, alleging that India's election process has been 'hijacked' and 'centralised' to serve the interests of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Centre. The remarks came amid a widening controversy over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal.
The Allegations Against the CEC
Banerjee pointedly referred to the Chief Election Commissioner as 'Vanish Kumar', a derogatory play on his name, saying: 'Someone who has tried to snatch away citizens' voting rights, who am I to forgive him? It has to be decided by the people of India.' She asserted that Gyanesh Kumar's 'vendetta was only to satisfy the Central government', and went further to claim that he and ECI IT Division Director General Seema Khanna 'hijacked the counting process in West Bengal.'
She also blamed Seema Khanna for being directly involved in what she described as the 'abrupt deletion of voters', adding that her party had previously written a letter questioning Khanna's appointment at the Election Commission.
Voter Deletions in West Bengal: The Numbers Cited
Banerjee claimed that between 2021 and 2026, approximately 3.5 lakh voters were removed from electoral rolls in West Bengal. She presented constituency-wise data, alleging that the highest deletions occurred in districts where the undivided Trinamool Congress had previously won. 'The BJP masterminded the SIR,' she alleged, adding that 'EVM machines were burned in Bengal.'
She further stated that the West Bengal Civil Service (Executive) Officers' Association had written a letter to the Election Commission of India (ECI) objecting to Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) being blocked from accessing the ECINet software. In an especially serious claim, she said 18 Booth Level Officers (BLOs) had died by suicide in connection with the controversy.
Immunity Bill and Parliamentary Controversy
Banerjee questioned the immunity provision enacted in 2023 for the Chief Election Commissioner and election commissioners, arguing that it was illegitimately passed. 'The immunity bill was passed when 147 MPs were suspended from the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Otherwise, it would not have been supported by the majority,' she said. She described the law as 'similar to a poisonous snake bite.'
The TMC chief also alleged that when her party MPs visited the ECI regarding a party symbol dispute, they were told to 'get lost' — a claim that, if verified, would represent a significant breach of institutional conduct.
Counting Centre Allegations and Bihar Parallel
Banerjee made personal claims regarding the Bhabanipur constituency, saying she had been winning by 15,000 votes when 'counting centres were captured after two-three rounds.' She alleged she was physically assaulted and prevented from entering the counting centre, that CCTVs were blocked, and that 'EVMs were hacked' — claims that have not been independently verified.
Commenting on allegations of 'vote chori' raised by the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) ahead of the Bihar Assembly polls, Banerjee said: 'It was already late by then...they tried, but details had to be studied further.' She also said similar irregularities had occurred in Maharashtra, but went unquestioned because 'people trust the EC.'
What Comes Next
The Election Commission of India had not issued a formal response to Banerjee's allegations at the time of the press conference. The SIR controversy is likely to intensify opposition scrutiny of the ECI ahead of the Bihar polls. With multiple opposition parties now amplifying voter-roll deletion concerns, the institutional credibility of the electoral machinery is set to remain a contested battleground in the months ahead.
Point of View
Named officials, and the BLO suicide claim. If those numbers hold up to scrutiny, they move the debate from rhetoric to evidence. What mainstream coverage risks missing is the structural argument she is making: that the 2023 immunity law, passed during a mass parliamentary suspension, created unaccountable gatekeepers of democracy. Whether or not every allegation is ultimately substantiated, the cumulative institutional damage — an opposition that refuses to accept electoral outcomes as legitimate — is a governance problem that the ECI cannot dismiss with silence.
NationPress
1 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Mamata Banerjee allege about the election process in India?
Mamata Banerjee alleged at a press conference in New Delhi on 1 October 2026 that India's election process has been 'hijacked' and made 'centralised' to benefit the BJP-led Centre. She specifically accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and ECI IT Division Director General Seema Khanna of manipulating the counting process in West Bengal.
What is the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) controversy?
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is an electoral roll revision exercise conducted by the Election Commission of India. Mamata Banerjee and the TMC allege it was used to wrongfully delete approximately 3.5 lakh voters in West Bengal between 2021 and 2026, disproportionately in constituencies where the Trinamool Congress had previously won.
What did Mamata Banerjee say about the 2023 immunity law for election commissioners?
Banerjee argued that the 2023 immunity law for the Chief Election Commissioner and election commissioners was illegitimately passed when 147 MPs were suspended from the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. She said it would not have received majority support under normal parliamentary conditions, describing the law as 'similar to a poisonous snake bite.'
Did the Election Commission of India respond to Mamata Banerjee's allegations?
The Election Commission of India had not issued a formal response to Banerjee's allegations at the time of the press conference on 1 October 2026. The ECI's position on the SIR controversy and the specific claims made regarding voter deletions in West Bengal remains to be stated.
What claims did Mamata Banerjee make about the Bhabanipur constituency counting?
Banerjee alleged that she was winning by 15,000 votes in Bhabanipur when counting centres were 'captured' after two or three rounds. She claimed she was physically assaulted, prevented from entering the counting centre, that CCTVs were blocked, and that EVMs were hacked — allegations that have not been independently verified.
