The Congress on Wednesday demanded a repoll in 50 West Bengal assembly constituencies, alleging that in these seats the victory margin is lower than the total number of votes deleted during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. The party also urged the Supreme Court to intervene and take cognisance of the issue.
Congress leader Pawan Khera alleged large-scale electoral manipulation in West Bengal and Assam and demanded fresh polling in constituencies where, he claimed, voting rights had been restored after deletions. He said re-polling should be conducted once “people’s voting rights are restored.”
Launching a sharp attack on the BJP, Khera alleged that electoral rolls were being “deliberately manipulated” and democratic institutions were being “compromised” to secure favourable outcomes. “Abki baar loktantra ka antim sanskar (this time it will be the last rites for democracy),” he said.
He further alleged that the Special Intensive Revision process was being used to “weaponise” electoral rolls and deprive citizens of their fundamental right to vote. According to him, in 12 states, 7.2 crore voters have been deleted, which he said amounts to 10.2 per cent of India’s voter base.
Khera alleged that in West Bengal alone, more than 90 lakh voters were deleted during SIR, including 27 lakh citizens who were denied due process. He claimed this had affected results in multiple constituencies, calling the outcome a “manufactured verdict” rather than a genuine mandate.
He alleged that the BJP had “orchestrated large-scale theft of mandate” by manipulating electoral rolls and influencing outcomes across more than 100 seats. He further claimed that in at least 50 constituencies, the number of deleted voters exceeded the winning margin, making the results “structurally pre-decided.”
Khera said he expects the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognisance of the matter, restore voting rights to affected citizens, and order re-polling in the constituencies where margins are lower than SIR deletions.
“We expect the Supreme Court to take cognisance of this and help restore voting rights. We feel there should be repolling in all such seats. The margins are before you,” he said, adding that voters were still waiting for restoration of their rights.
He said the Congress has full faith that the Supreme Court will deliver justice and safeguard the Constitution.
Khera also said the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA bloc) stands with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, asserting that the developments in the state reflect a broader democratic crisis and a “manufactured verdict imposed through manipulation.”
He also alleged irregularities in Assam, saying both West Bengal and Assam reflected a “captured democratic process.” He reiterated claims of discrepancies in Karnataka’s Aland constituency, voter data issues in Haryana, and unusual voter additions between Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Maharashtra, along with turnout revisions within a short period.
Khera alleged that voter deletions across states under electoral revision exercises had affected crores of electors, calling it a “systematic attempt to dilute the right to vote.” He also alleged that the Election Commission had been compromised and was facilitating such processes.
He further accused the BJP of using central agencies and institutional mechanisms to target opposition parties, calling it “organised political targeting.”