6 months ago
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Raising questions connected definite initiatives issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI), West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee connected Monday (November 24, 2025) wrote different missive to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and asked whether specified measures were undertaken astatine “the behest of a governmental enactment to service vested interests”.
Ms. Banerjee’s missive raised objections connected 2 important points — Request for Proposal (RfP) raised by the Chief Electoral Officer’s (CEO) bureau for hiring information introduction operators and bundle developers for a play of 1 twelvemonth and connection to acceptable up polling stations wrong backstage lodging complexes.
“When territory offices already person a important fig of competent professionals performing specified functions, what necessitates the CEO’s inaugural to outsource the aforesaid enactment done an outer bureau for a afloat year?” the Chief Minister asked.
A fewer days ago, Leader of Opposition successful the West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari had pointed retired that EC directive is wide that contractual unit cannot beryllium progressive successful information introduction works for the ongoing SIR.
In the letter, Ms. Banerjee wrote: “Why, then, is the CEO’s bureau assuming this relation connected behalf of tract offices? What substantive quality is expected successful the work conditions oregon contractual obligations betwixt those already engaged and those to beryllium hired done the projected agency? Is this workout being undertaken astatine the behest of a governmental enactment to service vested interests?” The timing and mode of this RfP surely rise morganatic doubts, she added.
This is the 2nd missive addressed by the Trinamool Congress chairperson to the CEC. In her missive dated November 20, Ms. Banerjee had urged Mr. Kumar to halt the SIR pointing retired that the quality outgo of managing the workout has turned unbearable.
The 2nd contented which the Chief Minister raised successful the missive to the CEC was the connection to acceptable up polling stations wrong backstage lodging complexes.
Calling the determination profoundly problematic, Ms. Banerjee said that polling booths indispensable stay located successful authorities oregon semi-government institutions, preferably wrong a 2 km radius, to guarantee accessibility and neutrality.
“Why is specified a determination being contemplated astatine all? Again, is this being done nether unit from a governmental enactment to beforehand their partisan interests? Why? Why? Why?” the Chief Minister repeatedly asked.
There are astir 80,000 polling booths successful the State and the EC is successful the process of adding different 14,000 polling booths earlier the 2026 State Assembly polls.
Stating that implications of specified a determination would person terrible interaction connected the fairness of the electoral process, Ms. Banerjee urged the CEC “to analyse these issues with utmost seriousness, impartiality, and transparency”.
Trinamool Congress nationalist wide caput Abhishek Banerjee connected Monday (November 24, 2025) said his enactment workers should people 100% submission of enumeration forms to the Election Commission. The forms person been distributed by the EC to voters successful West Bengal during the ongoing SIR. According to the CEO’s office, astir 99% of enumeration forms person been distributed crossed the State.
In a virtual gathering with astir 25,000 enactment leaders, the Trinamool person said the enactment should not repetition the mistakes committed by the Opposition parties successful the neighbouring State and submission of electoral forms should beryllium their focus.
