July 1, 2026

March 2026

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Monday slammed external affairs minister S Jaishankar over his parliamentary statement on the ongoing conflict in West Asia, saying that reading a statement without allowing discussion was unfair to Members of Parliament.Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Tharoor said the issue was serious and should be debated in the House.”The issue before the party was that this is a matter of gravity and should be discussed in the House. The purpose of Parliament is to take up the issues that matter to India and to have a serious discussion. Just reading a statement, without any questions, our point of view is not fair to the members of the House. Israel Iran WarUS-Israel-Iran War News Live Updates: Iran fires first wave of missiles at Israel under new Supreme Leader Mojtaba KhameneiWatch: Video challenges Trump claim, appears to show US Tomahawk missile hitting IRGC facility near Iran school where over 160 diedVideo shows thick black smoke rising after Iran hits Bahrain’s largest BAPCO oil refinery — watchSo, the party was agitating to have a discussion so we can ask questions about energy security, oil prices have gone high, and LPG prices were raised by the government,” he said, as quoted by ANI.He added that Parliament should be the forum to raise broader concerns related to international law and India’s interests.”There are larger questions of international law. Whatever those questions may be, Parliament is the right forum to ventilate them. We are not saying we are the government. They are the government, and they will do what they want to, but at least use Parliament to hear the views of a cross-section of the nation.”Congress MP K. C. Venugopal also supported the demand for a discussion, saying the situation in West Asia was not a partisan issue and that the government should take the Opposition into confidence.The remarks came after Jaishankar addressed both Houses of Parliament and said that PM Modi is closely monitoring the evolving situation in West Asia.”The Prime Minister continues to closely monitor the emerging developments, and relevant ministries are coordinating to ensure effective responses,” the EAM said.”This ongoing conflict is of particular concern to India. We are a neighbouring region, and have obvious stakes that West Asia remains stable. There are one crore Indians who live and work in the Gulf nations. In Iran, too, there are a few thousand Indians for study or employment. The region is key to our energy security and includes many important suppliers of oil and gas. Serious supply chain disruptions and a climate of instability are serious issues,” he added.Jaishankar also said the government has issued formal advisories to Indian nationals in Iran and is maintaining communication with Indians across the Gulf.Addressing concerns over energy security amid disruptions to trade routes through the Strait of Hormuz, he said the government is monitoring the energy markets while prioritising the interests of Indian consumers.”In view of the implications of this conflict for our energy security, the government remains committed to ensuring that it takes into account the availability, cost and risks of the energy markets. For us, the interest of the Indian consumer is and will always be the overriding priority,” he said.About the AuthorTOI News DeskThe TOI News Desk comprises a dedicated and tireless team of journalists who operate around the clock to deliver the most current and comprehensive news and updates to the readers of The Times of India worldwide. With an unwavering commitment to excellence in journalism, our team is at the forefront of gathering, verifying, and presenting breaking news, in-depth analysis, and insightful reports on a wide range of topics. The TOI News Desk is your trusted source for staying informed and connected to the ever-evolving global landscape, ensuring that our readers are equipped with the latest developments that matter most.”Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos”Never Seen Such Irresponsible Oppn…” Rijiju Hits Out At Oppn Over Uproar In ParliamentCEC Visit Sparks Protests and Voter Roll Controversy in West Bengal Ahead of 2026 PollsOpposition Storms Parliament Over US Iran War Impact Kharge Flags Threat To India Energy SupplyJaishankar Sounds Alarm On Oil Supply As Parliament Erupts Over West Asia War And India’s StakesPresident Murmu Protocol Row Turns Into Political Flashpoint, Centre Seeks Answers From Mamata Govt‘Matter Of Relief’: India Embassy In Riyadh Denies Reports Of Indian Death In Projectile Attack‘Champions!’ Narendra Modi Celebrates Team India’s Stunning ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Title Win‘Good Relations With Govt Of India’: Iran’s Envoy To Delhi On Bilateral Ties Amid West Asia WarIndian Expat In UAE Opens Farmhouse For Tourists Stranded By Flight Disruptions Amid West Asia WarIran War: India Dragged In? Anand Ranganathan Cuts Through The Noise I Sunday Scrutiny123PhotostoriesInside T20 World Cup-winning captain Suryakumar Yadav’s multi-crore watch collectionBigg Boss Tamil fame Priyanka Deshpande’s lavish lifestyle: From luxurious home to enviable car collection and net worth9 royal dishes that are now available as street foodPowerful healing mantras to chant to overcome depression5 tiny moments that make kids feel safe with you7 iconic flightless birds in the world and best places to see themPune opens double-decker corridor at SPPU Chowk with road traffic and metro in one corridor6 foods that will help you sleep like a baby6 luxury car maintenance tips every driver should know10 desi Indian dishes among 90 Best Rated Chickpeas Dishes in the World123Hot PicksIran war newsStock Market todayMojtaba KhameneiUttam Nagar murderIncome Tax CalculatorPublic holidays March 2026Bank Holidays MarchTop TrendingVallabh MaheshwariStock Market todayUS Strike on Iran OilS JaishankarUS EmbassyBahrain BapcoIran School Attack VideoGulf TensionBombay High CourtWhere to watch ind vs nz t20

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Monday slammed external affairs minister S Jaishankar over his parliamentary statement on the ongoing conflict in West Asia, saying that reading a statement without allowing discussion was unfair to Members of Parliament.Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Tharoor said the issue was serious and should be debated in the House.”The issue before the party was that this is a matter of gravity and should be discussed in the House. The purpose of Parliament is to take up the issues that matter to India and to have a serious discussion. Just reading a statement, without any questions, our point of view is not fair to the members of the House. Israel Iran WarUS-Israel-Iran War News Live Updates: Iran fires first wave of missiles at Israel under new Supreme Leader Mojtaba KhameneiWatch: Video challenges Trump claim, appears to show US Tomahawk missile hitting IRGC facility near Iran school where over 160 diedVideo shows thick black smoke rising after Iran hits Bahrain’s largest BAPCO oil refinery — watchSo, the party was agitating to have a discussion so we can ask questions about energy security, oil prices have gone high, and LPG prices were raised by the government,” he said, as quoted by ANI.He added that Parliament should be the forum to raise broader concerns related to international law and India’s interests.”There are larger questions of international law. Whatever those questions may be, Parliament is the right forum to ventilate them. We are not saying we are the government. They are the government, and they will do what they want to, but at least use Parliament to hear the views of a cross-section of the nation.”Congress MP K. C. Venugopal also supported the demand for a discussion, saying the situation in West Asia was not a partisan issue and that the government should take the Opposition into confidence.The remarks came after Jaishankar addressed both Houses of Parliament and said that PM Modi is closely monitoring the evolving situation in West Asia.”The Prime Minister continues to closely monitor the emerging developments, and relevant ministries are coordinating to ensure effective responses,” the EAM said.”This ongoing conflict is of particular concern to India. We are a neighbouring region, and have obvious stakes that West Asia remains stable. There are one crore Indians who live and work in the Gulf nations. In Iran, too, there are a few thousand Indians for study or employment. The region is key to our energy security and includes many important suppliers of oil and gas. Serious supply chain disruptions and a climate of instability are serious issues,” he added.Jaishankar also said the government has issued formal advisories to Indian nationals in Iran and is maintaining communication with Indians across the Gulf.Addressing concerns over energy security amid disruptions to trade routes through the Strait of Hormuz, he said the government is monitoring the energy markets while prioritising the interests of Indian consumers.”In view of the implications of this conflict for our energy security, the government remains committed to ensuring that it takes into account the availability, cost and risks of the energy markets. For us, the interest of the Indian consumer is and will always be the overriding priority,” he said.About the AuthorTOI News DeskThe TOI News Desk comprises a dedicated and tireless team of journalists who operate around the clock to deliver the most current and comprehensive news and updates to the readers of The Times of India worldwide. With an unwavering commitment to excellence in journalism, our team is at the forefront of gathering, verifying, and presenting breaking news, in-depth analysis, and insightful reports on a wide range of topics. The TOI News Desk is your trusted source for staying informed and connected to the ever-evolving global landscape, ensuring that our readers are equipped with the latest developments that matter most.”Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos”Never Seen Such Irresponsible Oppn…” Rijiju Hits Out At Oppn Over Uproar In ParliamentCEC Visit Sparks Protests and Voter Roll Controversy in West Bengal Ahead of 2026 PollsOpposition Storms Parliament Over US Iran War Impact Kharge Flags Threat To India Energy SupplyJaishankar Sounds Alarm On Oil Supply As Parliament Erupts Over West Asia War And India’s StakesPresident Murmu Protocol Row Turns Into Political Flashpoint, Centre Seeks Answers From Mamata Govt‘Matter Of Relief’: India Embassy In Riyadh Denies Reports Of Indian Death In Projectile Attack‘Champions!’ Narendra Modi Celebrates Team India’s Stunning ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Title Win‘Good Relations With Govt Of India’: Iran’s Envoy To Delhi On Bilateral Ties Amid West Asia WarIndian Expat In UAE Opens Farmhouse For Tourists Stranded By Flight Disruptions Amid West Asia WarIran War: India Dragged In? 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Congress MP Shashi Tharoor Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Monday slammed external affairs minister S Jaishankar over his parliamentary statement on the ongoing conflict in West Asia, saying that reading a statement without allowing discussion was unfair to Members of Parliament.Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Tharoor said the issue was serious and should be debated…

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The publication of West Bengal’s final electoral rolls on February 28 almost closes the chapter on one of the most acrimonious Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercises in the state’s recent political history. Now remains the aftermath of the political storm that has stirred, not just on the streets but in the courtroom too. What began as a technical audit of voter records evolved into a full-scale institutional confrontation, with chief minister Mamata Banerjee waging an unrelenting battle against the Election Commission of India in courtrooms, on the streets and through sustained political mobilisation.Over months, the revision moved beyond administrative procedure into the realm of constitutional argument and electoral strategy. Israel Iran WarUS-Israel-Iran War News Live Updates: Iran fires first wave of missiles at Israel under new Supreme Leader Mojtaba KhameneiWatch: Video challenges Trump claim, appears to show US Tomahawk missile hitting IRGC facility near Iran school where over 160 diedVideo shows thick black smoke rising after Iran hits Bahrain’s largest BAPCO oil refinery — watchBanerjee challenged the exercise before the Supreme Court of India, framed the deletions as a threat to “genuine voters,” and converted procedural hearings into political messaging. The commission, in turn, defended the drive as a lawful correction of the rolls, backed by judicially monitored scrutiny. CEC Visit Sparks Protests and Voter Roll Controversy in West Bengal Ahead of 2026 Polls By the time the final list came out, the SIR had ceased to be a simple exercise. It had become a defining prelude to the 2026 assembly elections, a contest over numbers, legitimacy and narrative, fought simultaneously in administrative offices, public rallies and the courtroom.A shrunken electoral rollAccording to the EC’s final list, the voter count now stands at 6.44 crore. This follows the draft roll published in December which pegged the electorate at 7.08 crore after 58.2 lakh deletions during the initial phase of scrutiny.Now, overall 63.7 lakh electors have been struck off. More than 60 lakh names have been placed “under adjudication”, while 1.9 lakh new voters have been added. Since the draft publication, there have been a net 3.6 lakh further deletions after hearings and verification.Before the SIR began, Bengal’s electoral roll stood at 7.66 crore. The final figure of 6.44 crore therefore represents a net reduction of 1.22 crore voters, a decline of nearly 15.9 per cent from the pre-SIR list.The day of announcement, however, was not without confusion.At an afternoon press conference, Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Agarwal initially put the total number of voters at 7.04 crore, a figure that included the 60 lakh voters whose cases remain under adjudication. By evening, the EC issued a clarification excluding those names from the final count, revising the figure downward to 6.44 crore.Murshidabad has the highest number of voters, around 11 lakh, under adjudication, followed by Malda (8.3 lakh) and North 24 Parganas (5.9 lakh), including large stretches of the Matua belt. Over 500 judicial officers are currently examining these pending claims. As per EC rules, names cleared by judicial officers can be added through supplementary lists until the last date of filing nominations.Among the districts that witnessed the sharpest drop in voter numbers are North Kolkata, Malda, Murshidabad and parts of North 24 Parganas and Nadia.Of the 63.7 lakh deletions, 58 lakh were categorised as ASD (absent/shifted/dead) voters who were already excluded in the draft SIR list. An additional 5.5 lakh were deleted via Form 7 proceedings. “Mistakes can always happen in such a massive exercise,” CEO Agarwal said, adding that intentional wrongful deletions would invite strong action.Sporadic protests broke out across districts. In Bankura, roads were blocked after around 1.2 lakh deletions were reported. In Salanpur (West Burdwan), police rescued a booth-level officer after 134 out of 632 voters in a booth were marked deleted or under adjudication.Even the roll-out had hiccups: though hard copies were displayed from noon, the online version went live only in the evening, triggering long queues at ERO and BDO offices. An interesting factor that came up was the marginally less deletions of women voters. Data from the EC’s SIR shows a slightly sharper reduction in women voters than men ahead of the assembly elections — a shift that could matter in tight contests.Women electors declined from about 3.77 crore to 3.44 crore, an 8.7 per cent fall, while male voters dropped from 3.89 crore to 3.60 crore, a roughly 7.5 per cent decline. Women still make up nearly half of the state’s 7.04 crore electorate.Over the past decade, women voters have emerged as a decisive political force, forming a key pillar of support for CM Mamata. The BJP has increasingly focused on attracting this bloc.Turnout trends highlight their growing influence, with women’s participation rising from 80.75 per cent in 2006 to 94.42 per cent in 2016, and slightly surpassing men again in 2021.This could matter as post-poll surveys from the 2021 West Bengal Assembly election indicate a clear gender tilt toward TMC, which secured over 50 per cent of the women’s vote. The BJP, in comparison, won around 37 per cent support among women voters.Mamata’s confrontationFor Mamata Banerjee the SIR became a constitutional confrontation before it became a political one from Day 1.Unlike many opposition leaders who confine electoral disputes to press conferences and dossiers, Mamata turns them into street-level confrontations, physically inserting herself into moments of conflict. Her politics is not just rhetorical, it involves performance, immediate and visibly combative, designed to transform institutional battles into public mobilisation.Her decision to personally move the Supreme Court marked a rare moment in Indian electoral politics: a sitting chief minister directly challenging an ongoing electoral roll revision and arguing in court.In her plea, she sought scrapping of the drive, suspension of deletions, reliance on existing rolls, and acceptance of Aadhaar as a valid document. But beyond the relief sought, it was her language inside the courtroom that shaped the political message outside it.“When justice is crying behind closed doors, it creates a feeling that justice is not being delivered anywhere,” she said. ‘Justice Is Crying…’: Mamata Banerjee Takes EC Head On In Supreme Court Over SIR Row In Bengal At another point she said, “They are targeting West Bengal to bulldoze its people.”She told SC to “save democracy”.These were not routine legal submissions. They were calibrated political statements made inside a constitutional forum.The SC’s responseThe bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, at the time when Mamata spoke in court, observed that “genuine persons must remain on the electoral roll” and stressed, “Every problem has a solution and we must ensure that no innocent person is left out.”At the same time, the court allowed the revision process to continue, issued notices, and directed procedural transparency, including display of discrepancy lists at local offices. In subsequent hearings, it cautioned against broad, non-specific grievances.Although SC may not have given her, precisely what she wanted but the legal exchange created a dual narrative:Banerjee positioned herself as a defender of “genuine voters.”The Election Commission, backed by court-monitored procedure, claimed institutional legitimacy.Judicial oversightWhile the initial hearing saw the Supreme Court largely uphold the continuation of the SIR, it subsequently permitted the process to unfold under an unprecedented layer of judicial supervision.In mid-February, the top court permitted deployment of additional judicial officers, including from Jharkhand and Odisha, to expedite scrutiny of nearly 50 lakh disputed cases. Invoking its powers under Article 142, the court directed that supplementary lists would be deemed part of the final roll published on February 28.However, in its latest on SIR, the court also sharply rebuked the West Bengal government for what it described as repeated, “vague and irrelevant” pleas.Chief Justice Surya Kant told the state not to approach the court “every now and then” to delay the process, remarking that the bench had gone “beyond our mandate” by assigning judicial officers a task ordinarily within the EC’s domain.Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the state, had alleged that the EC issued training modules to judicial officers, effectively instructing them on document scrutiny. The bench rejected the contention, stating that judicial officers would independently decide on document validity.The court’s position was clear that both the state government and the EC must create a “congenial atmosphere” for the process to conclude expeditiously.Political mobilisationThe courtroom battle was not isolated from political strategy, it anchored it.From December onwards, as draft exclusions surfaced, the All India Trinamool Congress operationalised the issue on the ground. “May I Help You” camps were set up across districts to assist voters in filing claims and objections, especially those marked under ASD or “logical discrepancy” categories.Publicly, Mamata reinforced the same rights-based framing in public events she used in court. In her series of allegations, she claimed that “58 lakh names had already been deleted” and warned that up to 80 lakh could face removal. Even in community gatherings, the CM linked the issue to pluralism and coexistence, ending one address with, “Jeeo aur jeene do — live and let live. May no genuine voter lose their democratic right.”Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate’s raid in January on political consultancy I-PAC added another institutional layer. Mamata personally visited the premises, alleging that agencies were attempting to interfere after “deletion of voters” had failed to tilt the balance. She also directly named home minister Amit Shah creating a political storm. In another dramatic escalation of her confrontation, Mamata travelled to Delhi in early February to meet the Chief Election Commissioner, accompanied by families she described as “SIR victims.”The visit quickly turned into a political flashpoint.On reaching Banga Bhawan in Chanakyapuri, one of West Bengal’s state guest houses, Mamata found the premises barricaded by Delhi Police. She called it a “symbolic protest”.Addressing officers at the spot, she said, “Brother, what are you doing here? I am not here for an agitation. If I did, you wouldn’t be able to handle it.”She accused the police of “searching and threatening” families housed at the state’s Hailey Road and Chanakyapuri guest houses.Drawing a political contrast, she told reporters, “Amit Shah gets a red carpet in Bengal, but when I come here, I get black carpet. If no one else fights, I will.”Calling Delhi “a zamindari,” she alleged there was “no place for the poor.”Speaking to the media, Mamata alleged harassment, “Look! Busloads of cops have come. People are being tortured, harassed. Police are searching the rooms. Why will they not come? Are they not Indian citizens?”Delhi Police, however, denied entering Banga Bhawan or imposing restrictions, stating that deployment was made after receiving information about the presence of “150–200 supporters of a political party” and senior leaders visiting them. Even after the publication of the final roll, the party described the outcome as “silent invisible rigging.” In her first reaction after the publication of the final voter list, CM Mamata continued her fight, slamming the EC over deletions in the post-SIR voter rolls, accusing it of colluding with the BJP to disenfranchise genuine voters ahead of the assembly elections. She described the deletions as “deliberate” and called the move “shocking” and “inhumane.”The Election Commission has deliberately deleted genuine voters. I am shocked. This is a very sad and inhumane state of affairs.Mamata Banerjee, West Bengal CMCurrently Mamata is part of TMC’s sit-in protest since March 6 against “voter deletions” calling it a “BJP-EC conspiracy to disenfranchise Bengali voters”.“I will present those voters, who have been declared dead by the Election Commission, at this protest site,” she said on Friday, the first day of the latest protest. Row Over Electoral Roll Revision: Protest Held at Dharmatala in Kolkata The optics reinforced her positioning of the SIR as part of a broader political confrontation.Politics in SIR – courtroom and beyondThe legal challenge did more than seek procedural relief. It altered the political grammar of the SIR.By stepping into the Supreme Court, Mamata:Elevated the dispute from administrative revision to question of ‘constitutional principle’.Created a narrative that the revision required judicial oversight to protect “genuine voters.”Positioned herself not merely as a party leader, but as a constitutional litigant “defending” democratic rights.However, for BJP, the same proceedings allowed a counter-claim: that the process was transparent, survived judicial scrutiny, and continued under court observation.Soon after the final rolls were out, BJP president Nitin Nabin put it as “removing infiltrators”. “If names of 50 lakh Bangladeshis weren’t deleted by EC, Centre’s welfare schemes for Bengal would have benefited infiltrators,” he said.State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya said, “We had demanded that the final roll be prepared only after Form 7s, most of which our workers could not submit, were deposited. We cannot comment until that process is over.” He added, “The Election Commission is duty-bound to come out with an error-free electoral roll, and we have faith in it.”Leader of opposition Suvendu Adhikari pointed to the rolls in Bhowanipore, represented by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. “Nearly 47,000 names have been deleted from Bhowanipore. More than 14,500 names are under scrutiny. SIR has cleansed the electoral roll at Bhowanipore,” he said, adding, “The names under adjudication will be scrutinised seriously by the judicial officers.”Amid concerns over the deletion of Matua voters’ names, junior Union minister Santanu Thakur said, “They will not be deported and will stay here. However, deletion of names falls under the purview of EC and we cannot comment on that,” while asserting that those who came to India from Bangladesh before Dec 31, 2024, due to religious persecution would receive Indian citizenship.A battle beyond numbersTechnically, the Special Intensive Revision SIR process is not entirely over. Supplementary lists will incorporate names cleared by judicial officers, and the Election Commission of India has reiterated that rolls can be updated until the last date of filing nominations, especially if polling is conducted in phases.Administratively, the exercise remains open-ended.Politically, however, the terrain ahead of the 2026 assembly elections in West Bengal has already shifted.The publication of the final list gives the commission procedural closure. But the intervention of the Supreme Court of India has injected institutional legitimacy, and political interpretation, into the process.For Mamata and TMC, the very fact that the matter reached the Supreme Court serves a political function. It allows her to argue that the revision was serious enough to warrant constitutional scrutiny. The scale of deletions and the appointment of judicial officers can be framed as proof that ordinary administrative safeguards were insufficient, reinforcing her message that “genuine voters” required protection.Even where the court declined to entertain certain objections, the CM can still position herself as having forced oversight and transparency onto the process.The courtroom battle thus trickles into a campaign narrative, one that the Bengal CM can deploy to reinforce her claim of defending voter rights and institutional accountability.For the opposition, particularly the BJP, the same proceedings offer a different narrative. The court’s refusal to stall the SIR, its endorsement of judicial supervision, and its remarks against “vague” grievances can be projected as validation of institutional propriety. If the final adjudicated rolls withstand further challenge, the BJP can argue that the process survived the highest level of judicial scrutiny, converting a contested revision into a court-tested one.In electoral messaging terms, this is crucial.If the Supreme Court is seen as having effectively endorsed the framework under which the rolls were finalised, the opposition can claim procedural vindication. If, however, supplementary lists significantly alter the composition of the electorate or highlight large numbers of restored names, Mamata can argue that judicial intervention prevented disenfranchisement at scale.Thus, as West Bengal moves toward the 2026 assembly elections, the SIR will likely be seen less as a technical roll correction and more as a political contest framed in constitutional language — one fought simultaneously in administrative offices, on public platforms, and before the highest court of the land.About the AuthorTrisha MahajanTrisha Mahajan is a journalist with The Times of India digital, with keen interest in covering business and corporate affairs. She also reports on key national and world developments and global news trends. A keen reader with a strong interest in storytelling that adds context, clarity, and depth to complex issues.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosCEC Visit Sparks Protests and Voter Roll Controversy in West Bengal Ahead of 2026 PollsOpposition Storms Parliament Over US Iran War Impact Kharge Flags Threat To India Energy SupplyJaishankar Sounds Alarm On Oil Supply As Parliament Erupts Over West Asia War And India’s StakesPresident Murmu Protocol Row Turns Into Political Flashpoint, Centre Seeks Answers From Mamata Govt‘Matter Of Relief’: India Embassy In Riyadh Denies Reports Of Indian Death In Projectile Attack‘Champions!’ Narendra Modi Celebrates Team India’s Stunning ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Title Win‘Good Relations With Govt Of India’: Iran’s Envoy To Delhi On Bilateral Ties Amid West Asia WarIndian Expat In UAE Opens Farmhouse For Tourists Stranded By Flight Disruptions Amid West Asia WarIran War: India Dragged In? 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The publication of West Bengal’s final electoral rolls on February 28 almost closes the chapter on one of the most acrimonious Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercises in the state’s recent political history. Now remains the aftermath of the political storm that has stirred, not just on the streets but in the courtroom too. What began as a technical audit of voter records evolved into a full-scale institutional confrontation, with chief minister Mamata Banerjee waging an unrelenting battle against the Election Commission of India in courtrooms, on the streets and through sustained political mobilisation.Over months, the revision moved beyond administrative procedure into the realm of constitutional argument and electoral strategy. Israel Iran WarUS-Israel-Iran War News Live Updates: Iran fires first wave of missiles at Israel under new Supreme Leader Mojtaba KhameneiWatch: Video challenges Trump claim, appears to show US Tomahawk missile hitting IRGC facility near Iran school where over 160 diedVideo shows thick black smoke rising after Iran hits Bahrain’s largest BAPCO oil refinery — watchBanerjee challenged the exercise before the Supreme Court of India, framed the deletions as a threat to “genuine voters,” and converted procedural hearings into political messaging. The commission, in turn, defended the drive as a lawful correction of the rolls, backed by judicially monitored scrutiny. CEC Visit Sparks Protests and Voter Roll Controversy in West Bengal Ahead of 2026 Polls By the time the final list came out, the SIR had ceased to be a simple exercise. It had become a defining prelude to the 2026 assembly elections, a contest over numbers, legitimacy and narrative, fought simultaneously in administrative offices, public rallies and the courtroom.A shrunken electoral rollAccording to the EC’s final list, the voter count now stands at 6.44 crore. This follows the draft roll published in December which pegged the electorate at 7.08 crore after 58.2 lakh deletions during the initial phase of scrutiny.Now, overall 63.7 lakh electors have been struck off. More than 60 lakh names have been placed “under adjudication”, while 1.9 lakh new voters have been added. Since the draft publication, there have been a net 3.6 lakh further deletions after hearings and verification.Before the SIR began, Bengal’s electoral roll stood at 7.66 crore. The final figure of 6.44 crore therefore represents a net reduction of 1.22 crore voters, a decline of nearly 15.9 per cent from the pre-SIR list.The day of announcement, however, was not without confusion.At an afternoon press conference, Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Agarwal initially put the total number of voters at 7.04 crore, a figure that included the 60 lakh voters whose cases remain under adjudication. By evening, the EC issued a clarification excluding those names from the final count, revising the figure downward to 6.44 crore.Murshidabad has the highest number of voters, around 11 lakh, under adjudication, followed by Malda (8.3 lakh) and North 24 Parganas (5.9 lakh), including large stretches of the Matua belt. Over 500 judicial officers are currently examining these pending claims. As per EC rules, names cleared by judicial officers can be added through supplementary lists until the last date of filing nominations.Among the districts that witnessed the sharpest drop in voter numbers are North Kolkata, Malda, Murshidabad and parts of North 24 Parganas and Nadia.Of the 63.7 lakh deletions, 58 lakh were categorised as ASD (absent/shifted/dead) voters who were already excluded in the draft SIR list. An additional 5.5 lakh were deleted via Form 7 proceedings. “Mistakes can always happen in such a massive exercise,” CEO Agarwal said, adding that intentional wrongful deletions would invite strong action.Sporadic protests broke out across districts. In Bankura, roads were blocked after around 1.2 lakh deletions were reported. In Salanpur (West Burdwan), police rescued a booth-level officer after 134 out of 632 voters in a booth were marked deleted or under adjudication.Even the roll-out had hiccups: though hard copies were displayed from noon, the online version went live only in the evening, triggering long queues at ERO and BDO offices. An interesting factor that came up was the marginally less deletions of women voters. Data from the EC’s SIR shows a slightly sharper reduction in women voters than men ahead of the assembly elections — a shift that could matter in tight contests.Women electors declined from about 3.77 crore to 3.44 crore, an 8.7 per cent fall, while male voters dropped from 3.89 crore to 3.60 crore, a roughly 7.5 per cent decline. Women still make up nearly half of the state’s 7.04 crore electorate.Over the past decade, women voters have emerged as a decisive political force, forming a key pillar of support for CM Mamata. The BJP has increasingly focused on attracting this bloc.Turnout trends highlight their growing influence, with women’s participation rising from 80.75 per cent in 2006 to 94.42 per cent in 2016, and slightly surpassing men again in 2021.This could matter as post-poll surveys from the 2021 West Bengal Assembly election indicate a clear gender tilt toward TMC, which secured over 50 per cent of the women’s vote. The BJP, in comparison, won around 37 per cent support among women voters.Mamata’s confrontationFor Mamata Banerjee the SIR became a constitutional confrontation before it became a political one from Day 1.Unlike many opposition leaders who confine electoral disputes to press conferences and dossiers, Mamata turns them into street-level confrontations, physically inserting herself into moments of conflict. Her politics is not just rhetorical, it involves performance, immediate and visibly combative, designed to transform institutional battles into public mobilisation.Her decision to personally move the Supreme Court marked a rare moment in Indian electoral politics: a sitting chief minister directly challenging an ongoing electoral roll revision and arguing in court.In her plea, she sought scrapping of the drive, suspension of deletions, reliance on existing rolls, and acceptance of Aadhaar as a valid document. But beyond the relief sought, it was her language inside the courtroom that shaped the political message outside it.“When justice is crying behind closed doors, it creates a feeling that justice is not being delivered anywhere,” she said. ‘Justice Is Crying…’: Mamata Banerjee Takes EC Head On In Supreme Court Over SIR Row In Bengal At another point she said, “They are targeting West Bengal to bulldoze its people.”She told SC to “save democracy”.These were not routine legal submissions. They were calibrated political statements made inside a constitutional forum.The SC’s responseThe bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, at the time when Mamata spoke in court, observed that “genuine persons must remain on the electoral roll” and stressed, “Every problem has a solution and we must ensure that no innocent person is left out.”At the same time, the court allowed the revision process to continue, issued notices, and directed procedural transparency, including display of discrepancy lists at local offices. In subsequent hearings, it cautioned against broad, non-specific grievances.Although SC may not have given her, precisely what she wanted but the legal exchange created a dual narrative:Banerjee positioned herself as a defender of “genuine voters.”The Election Commission, backed by court-monitored procedure, claimed institutional legitimacy.Judicial oversightWhile the initial hearing saw the Supreme Court largely uphold the continuation of the SIR, it subsequently permitted the process to unfold under an unprecedented layer of judicial supervision.In mid-February, the top court permitted deployment of additional judicial officers, including from Jharkhand and Odisha, to expedite scrutiny of nearly 50 lakh disputed cases. Invoking its powers under Article 142, the court directed that supplementary lists would be deemed part of the final roll published on February 28.However, in its latest on SIR, the court also sharply rebuked the West Bengal government for what it described as repeated, “vague and irrelevant” pleas.Chief Justice Surya Kant told the state not to approach the court “every now and then” to delay the process, remarking that the bench had gone “beyond our mandate” by assigning judicial officers a task ordinarily within the EC’s domain.Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the state, had alleged that the EC issued training modules to judicial officers, effectively instructing them on document scrutiny. The bench rejected the contention, stating that judicial officers would independently decide on document validity.The court’s position was clear that both the state government and the EC must create a “congenial atmosphere” for the process to conclude expeditiously.Political mobilisationThe courtroom battle was not isolated from political strategy, it anchored it.From December onwards, as draft exclusions surfaced, the All India Trinamool Congress operationalised the issue on the ground. “May I Help You” camps were set up across districts to assist voters in filing claims and objections, especially those marked under ASD or “logical discrepancy” categories.Publicly, Mamata reinforced the same rights-based framing in public events she used in court. In her series of allegations, she claimed that “58 lakh names had already been deleted” and warned that up to 80 lakh could face removal. Even in community gatherings, the CM linked the issue to pluralism and coexistence, ending one address with, “Jeeo aur jeene do — live and let live. May no genuine voter lose their democratic right.”Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate’s raid in January on political consultancy I-PAC added another institutional layer. Mamata personally visited the premises, alleging that agencies were attempting to interfere after “deletion of voters” had failed to tilt the balance. She also directly named home minister Amit Shah creating a political storm. In another dramatic escalation of her confrontation, Mamata travelled to Delhi in early February to meet the Chief Election Commissioner, accompanied by families she described as “SIR victims.”The visit quickly turned into a political flashpoint.On reaching Banga Bhawan in Chanakyapuri, one of West Bengal’s state guest houses, Mamata found the premises barricaded by Delhi Police. She called it a “symbolic protest”.Addressing officers at the spot, she said, “Brother, what are you doing here? I am not here for an agitation. If I did, you wouldn’t be able to handle it.”She accused the police of “searching and threatening” families housed at the state’s Hailey Road and Chanakyapuri guest houses.Drawing a political contrast, she told reporters, “Amit Shah gets a red carpet in Bengal, but when I come here, I get black carpet. If no one else fights, I will.”Calling Delhi “a zamindari,” she alleged there was “no place for the poor.”Speaking to the media, Mamata alleged harassment, “Look! Busloads of cops have come. People are being tortured, harassed. Police are searching the rooms. Why will they not come? Are they not Indian citizens?”Delhi Police, however, denied entering Banga Bhawan or imposing restrictions, stating that deployment was made after receiving information about the presence of “150–200 supporters of a political party” and senior leaders visiting them. Even after the publication of the final roll, the party described the outcome as “silent invisible rigging.” In her first reaction after the publication of the final voter list, CM Mamata continued her fight, slamming the EC over deletions in the post-SIR voter rolls, accusing it of colluding with the BJP to disenfranchise genuine voters ahead of the assembly elections. She described the deletions as “deliberate” and called the move “shocking” and “inhumane.”The Election Commission has deliberately deleted genuine voters. I am shocked. This is a very sad and inhumane state of affairs.Mamata Banerjee, West Bengal CMCurrently Mamata is part of TMC’s sit-in protest since March 6 against “voter deletions” calling it a “BJP-EC conspiracy to disenfranchise Bengali voters”.“I will present those voters, who have been declared dead by the Election Commission, at this protest site,” she said on Friday, the first day of the latest protest. Row Over Electoral Roll Revision: Protest Held at Dharmatala in Kolkata The optics reinforced her positioning of the SIR as part of a broader political confrontation.Politics in SIR – courtroom and beyondThe legal challenge did more than seek procedural relief. It altered the political grammar of the SIR.By stepping into the Supreme Court, Mamata:Elevated the dispute from administrative revision to question of ‘constitutional principle’.Created a narrative that the revision required judicial oversight to protect “genuine voters.”Positioned herself not merely as a party leader, but as a constitutional litigant “defending” democratic rights.However, for BJP, the same proceedings allowed a counter-claim: that the process was transparent, survived judicial scrutiny, and continued under court observation.Soon after the final rolls were out, BJP president Nitin Nabin put it as “removing infiltrators”. “If names of 50 lakh Bangladeshis weren’t deleted by EC, Centre’s welfare schemes for Bengal would have benefited infiltrators,” he said.State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya said, “We had demanded that the final roll be prepared only after Form 7s, most of which our workers could not submit, were deposited. We cannot comment until that process is over.” He added, “The Election Commission is duty-bound to come out with an error-free electoral roll, and we have faith in it.”Leader of opposition Suvendu Adhikari pointed to the rolls in Bhowanipore, represented by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. “Nearly 47,000 names have been deleted from Bhowanipore. More than 14,500 names are under scrutiny. SIR has cleansed the electoral roll at Bhowanipore,” he said, adding, “The names under adjudication will be scrutinised seriously by the judicial officers.”Amid concerns over the deletion of Matua voters’ names, junior Union minister Santanu Thakur said, “They will not be deported and will stay here. However, deletion of names falls under the purview of EC and we cannot comment on that,” while asserting that those who came to India from Bangladesh before Dec 31, 2024, due to religious persecution would receive Indian citizenship.A battle beyond numbersTechnically, the Special Intensive Revision SIR process is not entirely over. Supplementary lists will incorporate names cleared by judicial officers, and the Election Commission of India has reiterated that rolls can be updated until the last date of filing nominations, especially if polling is conducted in phases.Administratively, the exercise remains open-ended.Politically, however, the terrain ahead of the 2026 assembly elections in West Bengal has already shifted.The publication of the final list gives the commission procedural closure. But the intervention of the Supreme Court of India has injected institutional legitimacy, and political interpretation, into the process.For Mamata and TMC, the very fact that the matter reached the Supreme Court serves a political function. It allows her to argue that the revision was serious enough to warrant constitutional scrutiny. The scale of deletions and the appointment of judicial officers can be framed as proof that ordinary administrative safeguards were insufficient, reinforcing her message that “genuine voters” required protection.Even where the court declined to entertain certain objections, the CM can still position herself as having forced oversight and transparency onto the process.The courtroom battle thus trickles into a campaign narrative, one that the Bengal CM can deploy to reinforce her claim of defending voter rights and institutional accountability.For the opposition, particularly the BJP, the same proceedings offer a different narrative. The court’s refusal to stall the SIR, its endorsement of judicial supervision, and its remarks against “vague” grievances can be projected as validation of institutional propriety. If the final adjudicated rolls withstand further challenge, the BJP can argue that the process survived the highest level of judicial scrutiny, converting a contested revision into a court-tested one.In electoral messaging terms, this is crucial.If the Supreme Court is seen as having effectively endorsed the framework under which the rolls were finalised, the opposition can claim procedural vindication. If, however, supplementary lists significantly alter the composition of the electorate or highlight large numbers of restored names, Mamata can argue that judicial intervention prevented disenfranchisement at scale.Thus, as West Bengal moves toward the 2026 assembly elections, the SIR will likely be seen less as a technical roll correction and more as a political contest framed in constitutional language — one fought simultaneously in administrative offices, on public platforms, and before the highest court of the land.About the AuthorTrisha MahajanTrisha Mahajan is a journalist with The Times of India digital, with keen interest in covering business and corporate affairs. She also reports on key national and world developments and global news trends. 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