'Arrest Gyanesh Kumar': Why Mamata, Abhishek upped the ante against EC

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has sharpened its attack on chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, with Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee demanding his arrest and criminal prosecution over the alleged manipulation of electoral rolls and conduct of polls in West Bengal.

The salvo comes amidst buzz of a purported rift within the EC over the process of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls around the country. On September 24, Mahua Moitra, the TMC MP from Krishnanagar, filed a police complaint seeking an FIR against Kumar and alleging criminal misconduct in the process of SIR. She cited reports that Kumar allegedly acted without the knowledge or approval of fellow election commissioners, including over voter deletions, Form 6 changes, appeals and centralised control of electoral data.

Moitra alleged violations of the Representation of the People Act, Registration of Electors Rules and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, besides misuse of public funds and official position. She sought registration of an FIR, investigation and preservation of evidence.

The previous day, Abhishek, who returned to Kolkata after a medical check-up in the US, used his first interaction with the media to issue a warning to Kumar and demand a lookout circular on the poll body chief.

“LOC (lookout circular) should be issued against Gyanesh Kumar to prevent him from fleeing the country. He should be arrested for the manner in which he manipulated the voter list on behalf of the BJP and stole the [Bengal] elections,” Abhishek charged.Hours later, Mamata escalated the attack in a social media post. “My first demand is that Gyanesh Kumar be arrested and criminal proceedings initiated against him,” she said, adding that the TMC had raised concerns over the electoral process months before the elections.

Mamata claimed the ongoing controversy surrounding the EC had vindicated her party’s earlier warnings that voters’ rights were being systematically curtailed. She also sought action against all officials who had assisted the chief election commissioner. “Along with Gyanesh Kumar, action must also be taken against those in the government and Election Commission who supported these actions, including the concerned deputy election commissioners, IT (information technology) officials, EROs (electoral registration officers) and others,” she said.

A major part of Mamata’s address focused on SIR. She claimed 5.8 million voters in Bengal had initially been affected and repeatedly referred to Seema Khanna, the EC’s IT chief. She accused Khanna of functioning like the BJP’s IT official.

“Through AI system, the names of 5.8 million people were initially sealed, after which 2.7 million were excluded. We raised nearly 3.2 million objections,” Mamata said, adding that another 700,000 names were subsequently deleted.

“If 700,000 is added to 2.7 million, the total is 3.4 million; and when 3.4 million is added to 5.8 million, the total is 9.2 million voters excluded in Bengal alone,” she alleged.

Mamata linked the controversy to allegations of EVM manipulation, citing the fire at the South 24 Parganas district magistrate’s office in Alipore. “After this, EVMs were hijacked,” she said, wondering how the fire broke out only where EVMs were stored.

Mamata broadened her attack, accusing the BJP government in Bengal and sections of the police and administration of suppressing dissent. “We are freedom-loving people, but even after Independence, we are being made to live like people without freedom,” she said, alleging that over 14,000 cases had been filed, candidates arrested and attacked.

She alleged that more than 65 people had been killed in Bengal in four months and many others had died by suicide. “Somebody has to take responsibility for them,” she said.

Mamata called for restoration of the old electoral rolls and fresh elections in states where, she alleged, voters had been deprived of their rights through manipulation of EVMs. She also questioned the EC’s authority in the dispute over the TMC election symbol.

“Our symbol was taken away because we protested. When our party representatives went to meet the authorities, they were told to get lost. You (EC) are answerable to the country, to democracy and to the Constitution, not to the political interests of one party,” she said.

Mamata sought to turn the controversy into a broader Opposition mobilisation. “All parties, including regional and INDIA bloc entities, are together in this battle,” she said, reminding that the TMC had earlier submitted an impeachment notice against the chief election commissioner. “But this is no longer merely about impeachment; criminal action is required,” she said.

She appealed to political parties, NGOs and citizens who were reluctant to protest to come forward. “I will stand with you. You can attack me, arrest me or subject me to atrocities, but I am not afraid,” she said.

Invoking Rabindranath Tagore, Mamata framed the confrontation as a wider struggle over democratic rights and freedom. She said the country needed a new movement to protect democracy and ended her address with the slogans Jai Hind, Vande Mataram and Joi Bangla.

The latest attacks mark fresh escalation in the TMC’s confrontation with the EC. Abhishek’s demand for a lookout circular against Kumar and Mamata’s call for his arrest and criminal prosecution have taken the party’s allegations against the poll panel well beyond a demand for institutional accountability.

Mamata also called for action against officials involved in the electoral process and urged the media and judiciary to ensure that people received justice. “The media and judiciary have a very important responsibility,” she said. “If everyone remains silent and only thinks about promotions and personal interests, then who will speak for the people?”