Mamata Banerjee behaved inappropriately during the meeting with the Election Commission.

The ruling TMC in West Bengal is frequently accused of making statements against Election Commission officials or interfering in their work, but the situation worsened when party chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee came to Delhi and launched a strong attack on the Chief Election Commissioner. Speaking to reporters outside the Election Commission office, Mamata Banerjee strongly criticized the Chief Election Commissioner. She said she was very sad and that in her long political career, she had never seen such an arrogant and dishonest commissioner. She also said that her state was being selectively targeted and that the names of 58 lakh voters had been removed without giving them an opportunity to present their case. The Election Commission of India, however, rejected the allegations made by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. According to commission sources, during the meeting on the issue of special intensive revision, the Trinamool Congress chief made false accusations, behaved inappropriately, slammed her hand on the table, and left the meeting midway. It is worth noting that Mamata Banerjee arrived at the commission with her party delegation wearing a black shawl as a sign of protest and raised several questions. In response, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said that the rule of law would prevail throughout the process. He added that according to the powers vested in the commission, strict action would be taken against anyone who takes the law into their own hands. Sources say that the Chief Election Commissioner and the two other commissioners maintained a calm and dignified demeanor, yet Mamata Banerjee’s behavior was inappropriate. Commission sources also alleged that election officials in West Bengal are being targeted. It was claimed that some Trinamool Congress MLAs are openly using abusive and threatening language, especially against the Chief Election Commissioner. Incidents of vandalism at the offices of Electoral Registration Officers, i.e., SDOs and BDOs, have also been reported in some places. The Election Commission clearly stated that the officers engaged in this special voter list revision work should be allowed to work without pressure. Any kind of pressure, obstruction, or interference will not be tolerated. The commission also expressed administrative concerns. The honorarium due to booth-level officers has not yet been fully paid. Instead of the promised 18,000 rupees per officer, only 7,000 rupees have been disbursed. The Election Commission has directed that the remaining amount be released immediately. Furthermore, it was noted that several officers deployed in the state do not meet the required seniority level. Proposals were sought on January 20th to appoint Returning Officers as per the prescribed standards, but currently, only 67 assembly constituencies have officers of the SDO or एसडीएम (Sub-Divisional Magistrate) level in this position. The Commission also accused the state government of procedural lapses. It was alleged that three election observers were transferred without consulting the Commission. The Commission had directed the cancellation of the transfer orders on January 27th, but no action has been taken yet. Sources also revealed that no FIR has been registered against four election officials—two EROs (Electoral Registration Officers), two AEROS (Assistant Electoral Registration Officers), and one data entry operator—for dereliction of duty and violating data security rules, despite allegations of sharing information with unauthorized persons. It is worth noting that West Bengal is soon to hold assembly elections, and a special revision of the electoral roll is currently underway. The final list is scheduled to be released on February 7th. Regarding the Chief Minister’s statement against the Election Commissioner, the question arises: what message will be sent if leaders of the ruling party resort to targeting, pressuring, or threatening the Election Commissioner? Will every officer who upholds the rules become a target of political attacks? Will the rule of law remain only on paper? Democracy thrives on debate, not excuses; on rules, not intimidation. West Bengal politics has long been plagued by allegations of hooliganism. Reports of violence on polling day, booth capturing, and attacks on party workers are not uncommon. It is true that any state government has the right to question the Commission, request data, and object to errors. But there is a difference between questioning and creating a ruckus. A line must be drawn between democratic dialogue and aggressive pressure. If every disagreement is turned into a political battle, institutions will be weakened, and ultimately, the public will suffer.