SIR extension proves that the revision is a hurried process, says Trinamool

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has admitted its mistake by extending the deadline for Special Intensive Revision (SIR) by seven days, the Trinamool Congress leadership said in a statement on Sunday, November 30, 2025, adding that the ECI should apologize to the people of West Bengal for the deaths that allegedly occurred during the ‘rushed’ revision.

ECI on Sunday, November 30, 2025, announced the extension of the ongoing electoral roll SIR program in nine States and three Union Territories by one week.

Senior West Bengal Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya and Barrackpore MP Partha Bhowmick held a press conference and said the Trinamool Congress was right in pointing out that the SIR was a rushed exercise.

“Since the Trinamool Congress, we have been saying many times that the time given by the EC for SIR was not enough. Previously, this process took two years, this process was not enough for them. [EC] We were trying to complete it in two months. By extending SIR dates, [ECI] They admitted their mistakes and everything the Trinamool Congress said turned out to be true,” Ms. Bhattacharya said.

A few days ago, a delegation of Trinamool Congress MPs had met ECI officials at Nirvachan Sadan in New Delhi and raised five questions related to SIR, including alleged stress-related deaths.

The minister also raised the same question in the press conference and said that the EC should take responsibility for the deaths that occurred during the SIR.

“40 people lost their lives, all from West Bengal. What will be the EC’s response to these deaths? Who will take this responsibility,” he asked. The deaths in West Bengal also include those of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and the Trinamool leadership blamed the SIR for the losses.

Reacting to the extension of the SIR process, Union Minister and BJP leader Sukanta Majumdar said that the decision was entirely at the discretion of the poll panel.

West Bengal Congress questioned why the SIR process was extended by only seven days and demanded that it be extended by one month. CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty alleged that the BJP and the Trinamool Congress had entered into a “tacit agreement” on the implementation of SIR and were only taking public stances on the issue.

Meanwhile, in a related development, the ECI has appointed 13 special observers to evaluate the SIR process in the state. Retired IAS Officer Subrata Gupta, appointed as Special Roll Observer (SRO), visited South 24 Parganas district on Sunday, November 30, 2025, to review the progress. “I am here to check whether the SIR process is followed as per the ECI directive. There are several complaints and we will cross-check them,” Mr. Gupta said.