- BJP chief lauded CEC Gyanesh Kumar for peaceful elections.
- He credited Kumar for state’s electoral roll revision.
- The praise intensified existing controversy regarding Election Commission functioning.
Amid the row over Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, West Bengal BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya’s appreciation for him did not go down well with the Congress, drawing a sharp response from party leader Pawan Khera on Saturday.
Earlier, Bhattacharya praised CEC and said that he deserved the Padma Bhushan for his role in conducting the state’s recent assembly election and revising the electoral roll.
Reacting to Bhattacharya’s remarks, Khera said, “The Padma Bhushan is a very small thing. Make him the Prime Minister. After all, a person who can make others Prime Minister should be made one himself.”
VIDEO | Delhi: After West Bengal BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya said Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar deserves the Padma Bhushan, Congress leader Pawan Khera says, “The Padma Bhushan is a very small thing. Make him the Prime Minister. After all, a person who can make… pic.twitter.com/Ys3UNAA7R5
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 26, 2026
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Bengal BJP Chief Praises Gyanesh Kumar
Bhattacharya had earlier praised the CEC while speaking to reporters in Panihati in North 24 Parganas district, saying Kumar deserved the Padma Bhushan “at the very least”.
The BJP leader credited Kumar with ensuring what he described as a violence-free election in West Bengal and with “cleansing” the electoral roll by removing what he called illegal Bangladeshi immigrants.
“Gyanesh Kumar deserves to be awarded, at the very least, with the Padma Bhushan. The people of West Bengal are delighted that, after so long, intimidation was kept at bay, that there were no incidents of murder during the elections and people were actually allowed to cast their votes,” Bhattacharya said.
BJP Leader Credits CEC With Voter Roll Revision
Bhattacharya also claimed that Kumar played a key role in the revision of the electoral roll.
“In a border state like West Bengal, Gyanesh Kumar took the initiative to remove the names of Bangladeshi infiltrators from the voter list,” he said.
“The people of West Bengal have rarely witnessed an election like this. Therefore, the general public of West Bengal is grateful to Gyanesh Kumar and has blessed him with all their hearts,” Bhattacharya added.
Gyanesh Kumar Faces Opposition Criticism
The BJP leader’s remarks came amid a wider controversy over the functioning of the Election Commission during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
An Indian Express report said two election commissioners had raised objections to certain decisions allegedly taken in their names, triggering criticism from Opposition parties.
The developments have intensified the political debate over the Election Commission’s functioning and the ongoing SIR exercise.
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