Bengal poll battle heats up: EC and TMC exchange 'straight talk'

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday asserted that the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections will be conducted in a “fear-free, violence-free and intimidation-free” manner, issuing a firm message to the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC).In a post on X, the poll body said there would be no booth jamming or source jamming during polling, adding that the elections would be free from inducements and disruptions. Polling for the 294-member Assembly is scheduled in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with counting on May 4.The statement followed a meeting between chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and a TMC delegation comprising Derek O'Brien, Menaka Guruswamy, Sagarika Ghose and Saket Gokhale at Nirvachan Sadan in New Delhi.Reacting strongly, the TMC accused the ECI of acting in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), alleging that the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is aimed at deleting voter names ahead of the elections.In its official response on X, the party claimed that lakhs of voters have been removed from the rolls, calling it a “systematic disenfranchisement” of the electorate. It alleged that the BJP, anticipating defeat in West Bengal, is using the ECI to influence the electoral process.The party also questioned the neutrality of election officials, claiming that out of 60 lakh voters placed under adjudication, around 27 lakh names have already been deleted.According to TMC figures, the total number of voters in the state has dropped from 7.66 crore to 7.04 crore following the revision exercise — a reduction of over 61 lakh names.The sharp exchange underscores growing tensions between the poll body and the ruling party as the state heads into a high-stakes Assembly election.Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal sharply criticised the ECI, saying it was no longer necessary to state that the poll body was “working under” the BJP.In a post on X, Kejriwal said the alleged alignment between the ECI and the BJP was now “out in the open” and “extremely unfortunate.” He added that the Commission should avoid using such language publicly, warning that it risks damaging the credibility of a key democratic institution.