West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday leveled serious allegations against the Election Commission (EC), claiming that the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in the state has resulted in the deletion of 54 lakh voter names without providing affected individuals a fair opportunity to respond or defend themselves. Speaking at a press conference at the state secretariat Nabanna, Banerjee described the process as deeply flawed and politically motivated, targeting genuine voters and disproportionately affecting women and others whose personal details had legitimately changed over time.

Allegations of AI-Driven Manipulation

Banerjee alleged that the EC had employed artificial intelligence (AI) tools allegedly devised by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to identify mismatches in voter records. According to her, these AI-driven tools facilitated the large-scale removal of names from the draft electoral rolls by flagging inconsistencies, including minor variations in details such as surnames changed after marriage.

“The EC, while sitting in Delhi, used AI tools devised by the BJP to delete names. These AI software accounted for the names mismatch in SIR data. They deleted names of women who changed surnames post marriage,” Banerjee said, highlighting that the automation of this process compounded errors and created widespread hardship for legitimate voters.

The Chief Minister emphasized that the errors introduced during digitisation, particularly of older electoral records from 2002, resulted in genuine voters being wrongly categorized as having “logical discrepancies,” a term she alleged was not part of the original verification process but later introduced to justify further deletions.

Impact on Voters and Women

Banerjee argued that the deletions largely affected “genuine electors” who had no way of knowing about their removal from the rolls or contesting the decision. She specifically cited women whose surnames had changed after marriage, asserting that AI-driven mismatches disproportionately impacted them.

She also claimed that the deletion process ignored Booth Level Agents (BLA-2s), who are appointed by political parties to represent voters during hearings. Banerjee said that by preventing BLAs from attending hearings, the EC effectively blocked voters from defending their rights, asserting that this was done because the BJP allegedly could not mobilize its workers to support the process.

Claims of Political Motivation

Banerjee repeatedly accused the EC of acting in collusion with the BJP, framing the deletions as part of a larger effort to manipulate electoral rolls. She alleged that the so-called “BJP-EC nexus” plans to remove another one crore names from the final voter list.

In a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, the fifth she had sent since the SIR process began, Banerjee urged the EC to reconsider its methods and address the systemic errors she claimed were created by AI-driven digitisation of older voter lists. She highlighted that voters were being forced to re-establish their identity despite having undergone prior corrections after quasi-judicial hearings, pointing to a disregard for procedures established over the past two decades.

Procedure “Fundamentally Flawed”

Banerjee characterized the entire SIR exercise as “fundamentally flawed,” alleging that proper acknowledgement was not being issued for documents submitted by voters. She warned that without corrective action, the process risked disenfranchising millions of legitimate voters and undermining confidence in the electoral system.

According to Banerjee, serious discrepancies arose during the digitisation of the 2002 voter rolls, which led to widespread misclassification of voters and the removal of names based on errors in AI analysis. She described this as a systemic failure that necessitated immediate intervention.

Wider Concerns Over Electoral Integrity

The allegations raise broader concerns about the use of AI in election administration, particularly when applied to sensitive processes such as voter roll verification. While AI tools can improve efficiency, Banerjee’s claims suggest that their uncritical deployment—without robust verification mechanisms—can result in errors with far-reaching consequences, especially for vulnerable groups like women or individuals with name changes or other legitimate record modifications.

Experts argue that electoral authorities must ensure transparency and accountability in such exercises, providing mechanisms for voters to challenge deletions and verifying AI-generated results against human oversight. Failure to do so could erode public trust in democratic institutions.

EC Yet to Respond

The Election Commission has not publicly responded to Banerjee’s allegations as of Tuesday evening. Her repeated correspondence and public statements underscore the tension between the state government and the EC during the ongoing voter roll revisions in West Bengal.

Implications for Upcoming Elections

West Bengal’s political climate is particularly sensitive, with elections and party rivalries intensifying scrutiny of the voter registration process. Banerjee’s allegations, if substantiated, could have significant ramifications for the credibility of the electoral rolls and potentially affect voter participation, particularly among women and historically marginalized groups.

The controversy also highlights the need for safeguards to prevent misuse of technology in electoral processes. Experts advocate for independent audits, transparent procedures, and robust grievance redressal mechanisms to ensure that the introduction of AI complements rather than undermines democratic processes.

Conclusion

Mamata Banerjee’s claims of large-scale voter deletions, potentially facilitated by BJP-linked AI tools, have brought attention to both procedural and technological challenges in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of West Bengal’s electoral rolls. She has alleged that millions of genuine voters were removed without notice, that women and other affected individuals were disproportionately impacted, and that political considerations may have influenced the EC’s approach.

While the Election Commission has yet to respond, the allegations raise critical questions about the use of AI in governance, the protection of voter rights, and the integrity of electoral processes. The coming weeks will likely see heightened scrutiny as political parties, civil society, and voters seek clarity on the methodology, fairness, and oversight of the SIR process.