The All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) has filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the Election Commission of India (ECI), intensifying its criticism of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal. The 101-page plea, submitted by TMC Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien, contends that the ECI has exceeded its legal authority by implementing arbitrary procedures. This development follows West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's announcement of her intent to seek judicial intervention against the poll body.

The petition highlights numerous irregularities in the SIR process, including over 50 instances where the Chief Electoral Officer's office issued directives via WhatsApp messages and verbal instructions. TMC argues that this informal approach, dubbed a 'WhatsApp Commission' at the grassroots level, undermines the formal statutory communication system. Such methods, the party claims, convey critical instructions, warnings, and threats of non-compliance without proper documentation.

Further allegations include the exclusion of Booth Level Agents (BLAs) from hearing centers and the assignment of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) to gather death certificates from burial grounds. The plea also accuses the ECI of centrally deleting voters through its ERO-net portal in various assembly constituencies, bypassing the statutory role of Electoral Registration Officers (EROs). These deletions, conducted without EROs' knowledge or consent, are described as severe procedural violations.

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TMC has raised concerns about technological opacity, alleging that the ECI employed undisclosed algorithms and software to map voters. The petition notes the lack of transparency regarding 1.36 crore electors flagged for discrepancies, with no details provided on the software used or the digitization process. This opaque handling, according to the party, evades public scrutiny and raises questions about the integrity of the electoral exercise.

As West Bengal approaches its state elections, the SIR process has become a central political battleground for TMC to target the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The party's National General Secretary, Abhishek Banerjee, recently engaged in a contentious meeting with Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in New Delhi. With tensions mounting, the confrontation between TMC and the ECI is expected to intensify in the coming days.

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