West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee Accuses EC of Using BJP AI Tools in Voter Deletions

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, leveled serious allegations against the Election Commission of India (ECI), accusing it of deleting approximately 54 lakh names from the draft electoral rolls during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in the state. She claimed that the deletions were carried out using AI tools devised by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and that affected voters were not informed about the reasons for the removal of their names, effectively denying them any opportunity to challenge or rectify the decision.

Speaking to the media, Banerjee described the SIR process as arbitrary and biased, asserting that the massive deletions disproportionately impacted genuine voters, particularly from marginalized and minority communities. She alleged that the lack of transparency and due process violated constitutional rights and democratic principles. “Those whose names were removed were not even informed about the grounds for deletion, leaving them no chance to respond,” she said, urging the Election Commission to immediately halt the exercise and reinstate the deleted names pending proper verification.

The Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls is a periodic process undertaken by the ECI to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the voter list ahead of elections. In West Bengal, the SIR has been underway in recent months, involving house-to-house verification and the identification of duplicate, shifted, or ineligible entries. While the ECI has maintained that such revisions are routine and aimed at cleansing the rolls of errors, opposition parties, including the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), have repeatedly questioned the scale and methodology, especially in politically sensitive states.

Also Read: Ladki Bahin Scheme Triggers Poll Storm as Congress Takes On Mahayuti

Banerjee’s remarks have reignited the long-standing feud between the TMC and the BJP over alleged manipulation of electoral rolls in West Bengal. The chief minister’s claim that BJP-devised AI tools were used by the EC has added a fresh dimension to the controversy, though no independent evidence supporting the specific allegation has been presented so far. TMC leaders have called for a judicial probe into the deletions, arguing that the deletions could disenfranchise lakhs of legitimate voters ahead of future elections, including local body polls and the next Lok Sabha elections.

The Election Commission has not yet issued a detailed response to the chief minister’s specific allegations. In previous statements, the ECI has defended the SIR as a transparent, data-driven process conducted in accordance with established guidelines, allowing for claims and objections from affected individuals. As the controversy intensifies, political observers note that the issue of voter list accuracy has become a recurring flashpoint in West Bengal politics, with both the ruling party and the opposition accusing each other of attempting to influence electoral outcomes through roll manipulations. The coming days are likely to see heightened demands for clarity and fairness in the ongoing revision process.

Also Read: Supriya Sule Says EVMs Cannot be Questioned After Four Electoral Wins