- "I hope he (Bengal's poll body chief) stays within his limits. I mean, don't overreact," Mamata Banerjee said
- An Election Commission delegation has reviewed West Bengal's readiness for electoral roll revision
- BJP claims 1 crore names will be deleted from West Bengal's voter list during Special Intensive Revision
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee sent out a stern message to the state's chief poll officer Manoj Agarwal on Thursday, saying he should stay "within his limits".
Without naming the official, she told reporters at the state secretariat, "The CEO from this state, who has allegations against him, which I will talk about when the time comes... I hope he stays within his limits. I mean, don't overreact".
The Chief Minister claimed the poll chief was threatening officials. "The one who has allegations of corruption against him is threatening officers," she said.
Mamata Banerjee's comments came on the day the Election Commission delegation led by Ganesh Bharti concluded its two-day visit to the state to review the preparedness for Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
The delegation held a meeting with all district administrations, barring North Bengal, where flood relief work is in progress.
The poll body has reportedly set a deadline of October 15 to complete preparations for the rollout of SIR in the state. Officially, though, the Commission has not revealed any tentative schedule.
The BJP, which is the principal opposition in the state, has welcomed the special revision, with Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari claiming at least 1 crore names from the voters list in Bengal will be deleted in course of the exercise.
"It is with grave concern and utmost urgency that I draw the attention of the Respected Chief Election Commissioner of India, to the blatant and audacious threats made by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee against the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal, who is a Constitutional Representative of the ECI, in the state," Suvendu Adhikari said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
This is not an isolated incident, his post added.
"On July 28, 2025, during an administrative meeting in Bolpur, Mamata Banerjee openly threatened Booth Level Officers (BLOs), who are State Government employees, warning them of "consequences" if they dared to exclude even a single name from the Voter List," he said, seeking strong action from the poll body against the Chief Minister.
The BJP has slammed Trinamool Congress for supporting infiltrators in the state. The ruling party has vehemently denied the allegation, citing that the international border security is under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Speaking to the media outside the legislative assembly, Adhikari said there has been a cumulative growth in voters' list in Rajarhat, Domkal and Jalangi, all located in the bordering districts.
The BJP and Trinamool are locked in a fierce political battle for the election due early next year and the Commission now finds itself at the center of another political tug of war.