By Sabyasachi Roy Chowdhury
New Delhi, July 1: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) leadership, including MP Kalyan Banerjee and MLA Firhad Hakim, took their grievances over electoral irregularities directly to the Election Commission of India (ECI) in a meeting that lasted several hours. Emerging from Nirvachan Sadan, they spoke passionately about their concerns with voter inclusivity, fake voters, and the impartiality of electoral authorities. Speaking to reporters, Kalyan Banerjee emphasized the need for continuity in voter rolls. 鈥淭he revision roll should be based on 2024 as the base year. Voters who have already been enrolled must not be removed arbitrarily. The ECI assured us they would consider this point seriously,鈥 he said. The issue of bulk voter additions before elections, which the TMC claims compromises the fairness of the process, was another key focus. 鈥淗ow is it that just before elections, we see thousands of new names鈥攕ometimes people aged 50 or 60鈥攕uddenly appearing on voter lists? This is not normal. We proposed a fixed cut-off date for new inclusions to prevent such malpractice, and they seemed open to the idea,鈥 Banerjee added. On the controversial requirement for birth certificates for voters born between 1987 and 2003, Banerjee clarified that existing voters should not be subjected to new documentation demands. 鈥淭he ECI has assured us that voters already on the rolls will not be required to submit additional documents,鈥 he said. Firhad Hakim took issue with the role of central forces in polling booths, calling for greater checks on their influence. 鈥淐entral forces must only step in during cases of unrest. We proposed that state police also be present inside polling booths to maintain balance. The ECI said they would review this,鈥 he said. Hakim also highlighted political misuse of official platforms, specifically citing Union Home Minister Amit Shah鈥檚 speech at Petrapole during an official event. 鈥淯sing government programs for political messaging during elections must stop. The ECI promised to look into it,鈥 he said. The leaders also raised concerns about the Governor鈥檚 frequent travel to politically sensitive areas during elections. 鈥淲e pointed out that such visits can create the perception of bias. After we complained, the ECI reportedly stopped a Governor鈥檚 travel. We urged them to establish clearer rules on this,鈥 Hakim noted. Both leaders underscored their faith in the Election Commission鈥檚 ability to address these concerns. 鈥淥ur Chairperson Mamata Banerjee has always respected the Election Commission and the judiciary as pillars of democracy. We believe the ECI will act fairly,鈥 Hakim concluded. The TMC remains cautiously optimistic, awaiting concrete steps from the ECI to ensure free and fair elections in the future.