West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has once again raised alarm over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state, claiming that the exercise is causing severe distress among the population. Speaking at a programme at Red Road, Kolkata, on the occasion of Subhas Chandra Bose’s birth anniversary, Banerjee stated that at least three to four people die every day in West Bengal due to anxiety stemming from the SIR process. She noted that more than 110 deaths have already occurred, highlighting a growing humanitarian concern linked to the electoral exercise.

Banerjee stressed that the Election Commission (EC) and the central government must take responsibility for these deaths, framing the SIR exercise as a source of unnecessary public stress and disruption. According to her, residents, including elderly citizens, are being forced to wait for hours in the open at SIR camps for hearings and verification, which exacerbates anxiety and mental strain.

The Chief Minister also criticized the EC for picking up long-accepted identity issues, particularly concerning Bengali surnames. She explained that names like Chatterjee and Chattopadhyay, Thakur and Tagore, or even her own Mamata Banerjee and Mamata Bandyopadhyay, have historically been considered equivalent. Banerjee pointed out that if icons like Rabindranath Tagore were alive today, they too could face harassment under similar scrutiny.

Highlighting the procedural difficulties faced by citizens, Banerjee noted that families with multiple children are asked to explain age gaps, and elderly people are required to provide proof of birth, which is often unavailable. She emphasized that many mothers cannot recall exact birth dates, giving historical examples such as former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, whose birthday was not his real one, and contrasted it with her own Madhyamik school certificates, which serve as evidence.

In addition to raising concerns about administrative harassment, Mamata Banerjee linked the SIR exercise to political maneuvering, accusing the BJP of attempting to conspire against West Bengal. She claimed that national icons like Mahatma Gandhi, B R Ambedkar, Subhas Chandra Bose, and Rabindranath Tagore are being symbolically insulted, reflecting what she termed a disregard for cultural and historical respect.

Banerjee has reiterated these concerns on multiple occasions, including the 49th International Kolkata Book Fair, where her 162nd book, a compilation of 26 poems about the SIR-induced public agony, was released. Through both her speeches and literary efforts, she seeks to highlight the human cost of bureaucratic oversight, particularly in a politically sensitive environment ahead of the West Bengal Assembly election 2026.

By framing the SIR exercise as a cause of daily suicides and widespread anxiety, Mamata Banerjee is positioning herself and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) as defenders of citizen rights and welfare. Her repeated calls for accountability from the EC and central government underline the stakes for voter trust and administrative transparency. The Chief Minister’s statements are intended to bring attention to the emotional, logistical, and identity-related challenges that ordinary citizens face in complying with electoral processes, especially the vulnerable elderly and families with multiple children.

The controversy also touches on broader issues of governance and political accountability, with the SIR exercise being interpreted by Banerjee as an instrument of undue stress rather than democratic facilitation. The assertion that three to four people die every day due to anxiety is meant to dramatize the human cost and urge immediate intervention, ensuring that the electoral process does not cause unnecessary suffering.

As West Bengal gears up for the upcoming Assembly elections, the SIR exercise has emerged as a flashpoint, bringing into focus questions of administrative efficiency, citizen welfare, and political responsibility. Mamata Banerjee’s vocal criticism of the EC and central government is likely to influence public perception, particularly among rural and elderly voters who are most affected by long queues, document verification issues, and prolonged waiting times.

Banerjee’s engagement on the issue through public addresses, book releases, and direct statements to the media highlights the TMC’s strategy of centering citizen distress as an electoral issue, challenging the BJP and Election Commission to respond effectively. The ongoing debate over the SIR exercise underscores the tensions between bureaucratic procedures and citizen-centric governance, as well as the political ramifications of administrative missteps in a high-stakes electoral environment.

In conclusion, Mamata Banerjee’s claims about SIR-related deaths spotlight a critical intersection of electoral management, mental health, and political accountability in West Bengal. Her insistence that the Election Commission and central government take responsibility signals a broader critique of governance and a call for urgent reforms in how the SIR process is conducted, emphasizing sensitivity to public hardship, historical identity nuances, and procedural fairness ahead of the assembly polls.

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