IndiaPosted at: Oct 1 2026 5:16PM


Mamata escalates attack on EC, alleges Electoral data ‘hijacked’ and questions CEC immunity

New Delhi, Oct 1 (UNI) Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Thursday intensified her attack on the Election Commission, alleging that the country’s electoral machinery has been excessively centralised and that crucial voter data and electoral processes had been “hijacked”, while questioning the legal immunity provided to the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners under the 2023 law.
Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Banerjee said the issue went beyond any particular election or political party and concerned the fundamental right of citizens to vote and the protection of the constitutional character of the electoral process.
The former West Bengal Chief Minister launched a sharp attack on Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, whom she repeatedly referred to as “Vanish Kumar”, accusing the Election Commission of failing to safeguard voters’ rights.
She said she had deliberately avoided using Kumar’s name because of her allegation that those responsible for depriving citizens of their rights should be held accountable.
“There is a lot of discussion about ‘Vanish’ Kumar, who is currently in charge. We have been fighting for the rights of citizens and to protect their voting rights from the beginning,” Banerjee said.
“We have been calling him ‘Vanish’ from the beginning. I don't take his name because those who have worked to deprive people of their rights, how can I forgive them?” she said.
Banerjee also questioned the immunity provisions enacted in 2023 for the CEC and Election Commissioners, arguing that officials entrusted with the conduct of elections should remain subject to accountability. Her remarks brought the legal framework governing the Election Commission into the centre of the political dispute over the electoral-roll revision exercise.
Her criticism came amid the continuing controversy over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, with Opposition parties alleging that the exercise could result in the exclusion of legitimate voters. The Election Commission has defended the revision process, maintaining that it is aimed at ensuring accurate and credible electoral rolls, while Opposition parties have questioned the manner in which voter data is collected, processed and accessed.
Banerjee alleged that the electoral system had been subjected to an unprecedented degree of centralisation and claimed that local Electoral Registration Officers were not being allowed to function with the independence necessary for dealing with electoral-roll matters.
She further alleged that key electoral data and processes had been “hijacked” from the office of the Chief Election Commissioner and questioned the functioning of the Election Commission’s technology systems. In this context, she also referred critically to senior election official Seema Khanna.
The TMC chief’s allegations come against the backdrop of a wider political and legal debate over the use of centralised digital systems in electoral-roll management and the functioning of the Election Commission during the SIR exercise. Reports of differences within the three-member poll panel over aspects of the revision process have further intensified scrutiny of the institution. The Election Commission, however, has maintained that it functions within the constitutional and statutory framework governing elections and has defended the integrity of the electoral process.
Banerjee also criticised the union government over the legislation that provides legal protection to the CEC and Election Commissioners. She alleged that the measure had been “forcibly passed” at a time when a large number of Opposition MPs had been suspended from Parliament.
The issue of immunity has become an important component of the Opposition’s broader challenge to the legal framework governing the Election Commission. Opposition parties have questioned whether the statutory protection provided to members of the poll panel could limit accountability and have indicated that they would pursue legal and political avenues to challenge aspects of the 2023 legislation.
Banerjee said the TMC would continue to oppose what she described as administrative overreach and would work with other Opposition parties to defend democratic institutions and citizens’ voting rights. She was accompanied by senior TMC leaders and MPs, including Abhishek Banerjee, Derek O’Brien, Mahua Moitra and Dola Sen.
The TMC chief maintained that the question of electoral rights could not be confined to Parliament or courtrooms and that the issue would have to be taken to the people. Her remarks reflected the party’s decision to intensify its national campaign against what it regards as the excessive centralisation of electoral administration.
Banerjee’s October 1 intervention came a day after the INDIA bloc held a separate meeting and joint press conference in New Delhi on September 30, where Opposition parties announced a coordinated programme of protests over the SIR exercise and the functioning of the Election Commission. Her remarks on Thursday, however, focused specifically on the structure and functioning of the electoral machinery, the alleged centralisation of voter data and the question of accountability of election officials.
Her latest attack thus widened the scope of the Opposition’s confrontation with the Election Commission, bringing together its objections to the SIR exercise, concerns over the management of electoral data and questions over the legal protections available to the country’s top election officials. For Banerjee, the central issue remains the protection of the citizen’s right to vote and the institutional safeguards surrounding the electoral process. UNI SKA AAB
Tags: #Mamata escalates attack on EC# alleges Electoral data ‘hijacked’ and questions CEC immunity
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