Bihar was chosen for the SIR ahead of its assembly elections later this year, but the INDIA bloc has questioned why the EC did not extend the process to all states. Critics suspect that the selective rollout is politically motivated, designed to weaken opposition strongholds while leaving BJP-ruled states largely untouched.

The ECI has insisted that the SIR is a standard procedure carried out as needed, but it has not yet addressed calls for a nationwide exercise. “If SIR is conducted, it should be held across the country,” Banerjee said. “And the first step should be the resignation of the prime minister and his cabinet, followed by the dissolution of the Lok Sabha.”

The TMC leader argued that if the ECI believes irregularities exist in the voter list, the legitimacy of the current government — elected during the 2024 general election — is “null and void”. He pointed out that the same electoral roll was used to elect over 240 BJP MPs, as well as to determine the Lok Sabha composition that will choose India’s next President and vice-president.

Banerjee accused the BJP of initiating the voter roll revision in Bihar because it fears losing the upcoming state elections if “people are allowed to vote freely”. “Rules cannot be different for different states. They must be the same for all,” he asserted, demanding that SIR be implemented nationwide rather than in “selected states” only.

The BJP has dismissed such allegations, maintaining that the SIR is a routine procedure to ensure that voter rolls are accurate. The EC, meanwhile, has not commented on Banerjee’s demand for a nationwide revision or on his call for the government to step down.

With PTI inputs