West Bengal electoral rolls: Left parties hold overnight Kolkata sit-in over post-SIR transparency

Left parties held an overnight sit-in in central Kolkata, demanding transparency in West Bengal’s post-SIR electoral rolls and seeking a meeting with Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal. Leaders said they would submit a memorandum and would not announce Left Front candidates until the voter list is finalised through a transparent process.

Left parties began an overnight sit-in outside the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer’s office in central Kolkata on Wednesday. The protest demanded clear information on electoral rolls after the Special Intensive Revision, or SIR. Leaders said the action would continue until Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal meets them and takes their memorandum.

The protest followed a procession from the Tea Board headquarters to the CEO office. Left Front chairman Biman Bose led the march. Workers and leaders then started the sit-in outside the building. Parties outside the Left Front also joined, including CPIML Liberation, expanding the turnout at the central Kolkata venue.

West Bengal electoral rolls and SIR deletions

The dispute centred on the Election Commission’s SIR process in West Bengal. Left leaders pointed to large changes in the rolls since the exercise began. Around 63.66 lakh names have been deleted. Nearly 60 lakh voters have been moved to an "under adjudication\" category, making status checks a key demand.

Leaders said names shifted to adjudication unfairly, or removed without proper basis, should return to the rolls. The protest called for transparency in how decisions were made during revision. Organisers said access to clear records was needed before the next steps in election planning could proceed.

West Bengal electoral rolls and candidate list timing

CPIM state secretary Mohammed Salim said the Left would not rush candidate announcements before the voter list is settled. \"First, the voter list, then the candidate list. People come first,\" Salim said. CPIM sources said selection work was complete, but Salim linked any formal list to a transparent roll update.

CPIML Liberation leader Kartick Pal and RSP leader Manoj Bhattacharya joined the sit-in with Salim and other Left leaders. They said the protest would run through the night. The group repeated that it would end only after Manoj Kumar Agarwal meets them and receives the memorandum.

West Bengal electoral rolls and police request

A senior Kolkata Police officer visited the spot in the evening. The officer asked the group to end the gathering, according to protest organisers. Salim said the request was refused. \"We will continue our sit-in until the CEO meets us and we submit our memorandum,\" Salim said.

During the demonstration, leaders and workers also joined an iftar gathering held at the site. The Left Front said it planned to widen participation on Thursday. Organisers announced a larger public meeting at the same location, while keeping the focus on transparency in the post-SIR voter lists.

With inputs from PTI