Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale has sharply criticized the Election Commission of India (ECI) for deploying a "mysterious" AI application during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal, demanding full disclosure on its developer, bias audits, and functionality. In an X post, Gokhale highlighted "zero details" provided about the tool, which ECI officials say uses facial recognition on voter photos to flag duplicates or deceased entries, aiming to purify rolls ahead of future elections. The SIR, rolled out in phases since November 2025, involves door-to-door verification by over 94,000 Booth Level Officers (BLOs) comparing current lists to 2002 benchmarks, with claims and objections open until January 2026.​

Gokhale questioned the necessity of AI when "existing PDF software" could handle duplicates, alleging the fast-tracked process lacks transparency and echoes past controversies. He referenced his 2019 exposé of ECI hiring a BJP IT cell-linked agency in Maharashtra and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's letter protesting the recruitment of 1,000 out-of-state data operators and 50 developers. "What guarantee that this app isn't developed by someone with BJP links?" he asked, urging vendor details and AI bias checks.​

The SIR-2025, under Article 324, seeks to cap booths at 1,200 voters each through house-listing, form distribution, hearings, and final publication by February 7, 2026. ECI teams recently reviewed progress in districts like Alipurduars amid Phase-II rollout in nine states, but TMC alleges suspicious timelines post-Bihar issues. No BLOs collect documents per ECI guidelines, with online verification encouraged.​

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ECI has not issued a detailed public response on the AI specifics, fueling Gokhale's claims of a "cover-up" in voter list management. Political parties navigate form-filling to retain names, with observers monitoring for deletions.​ Gokhale's challenge amplifies TMC's broader accusations of electoral manipulation, potentially shaping SIR scrutiny across India as ECI addresses BLO stress reports.​

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