‘Playing With Fire’: SIR Stir Erupts In Bengal As Mamata Targets CEO, BJP Demands Action

A major political storm has erupted in West Bengal over the impending special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launching a blistering attack on the process and threatening a large-scale movement. Targeting the state’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Manoj Agarwal, Banerjee has alleged that the SIR is a “conspiracy to implement NRC,” prompting a fierce backlash from the BJP, which has demanded that the Election Commission take stringent action against her for intimidating officials.

The confrontation has intensified even as senior Election Commission officials are in the state holding final meetings with district-level officers, signaling that the revision process could begin at any moment. On Thursday, Banerjee called the SIR a “fraud” that excludes the public and alleged it was a veiled attempt to delete genuine voters’ names. “There are several complaints against the CEO of West Bengal himself… I hope he does not overreact. He has been threatening many officers,” she said, warning that the BJP was “playing with fire.”The BJP has reacted sharply to the Chief Minister’s comments.

Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari wrote to the Election Commission, claiming that up to 1 crore names could be deleted from the voter list under the SIR and urging the EC to take “immediate cognisance” of Banerjee’s “repeated attempts to undermine the democratic process.” He also requested central security for the CEO, citing a “clear and present danger” in a state where he claims “lawlessness prevails.” BJP IT Cell Chief Amit Malviya accused the Chief Minister of crossing “all limits of constitutional propriety” by threatening unrest.

The war of words has set the stage for a fierce political battle ahead of the 2026 state elections. Even as EC officials were conducting their meetings, small protests began across the state, and experts believe these demonstrations are likely to escalate following the Chief Minister’s call to action. With both sides digging in their heels, it is clear that before the electoral battle of 2026, Bengal will first witness a contentious political war over the revision of its voter list.