Dipankar Bhattacharya, the general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist‑Leninist) Liberation, accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of illegalities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process during a public hearing in Patna on October 1, 2026. He alleged that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar had made decisions within the three‑member commission without the consent of the other two members.
The criticism followed a door‑to‑door voter verification survey conducted by the party in ten constituencies across Bihar. The survey covered 102 booths and found that of the 9,288 voters deleted during the SIR, 1,550 were alive and residing at their addresses, indicating a 17% error rate. In addition, of 1,964 voters removed before the SIR, 351 were still alive, an 18% error rate, and at least 36 voters had been wrongly marked as deceased.
A five‑member jury, including former university heads and a PUCL vice president, reviewed the evidence and deemed the SIR deletions unfair. The jury called for action against the Chief Election Commissioner, the scrapping of the SIR, and the restoration of voting rights to those wrongfully removed. The hearing also addressed decisions from the INDIA bloc meeting in Delhi and resolved to launch a mass campaign defending universal adult franchise.
Bhattacharya warned that the ECI’s actions mock the Constitution and undermine transparency, especially amid economic hardship. He noted similar complaints in Delhi and West Bengal and highlighted the broader impact on civil rights, urging the Chief Election Commissioner to resign for accountability.
