Kolkata: Two days after the special intensive revision (SIR) hearing process ended in West Bengal, the Election Commission (EC) has disapproved key government housing schemes’ financial assistance sanction letters as the voters’ valid identity proof for the drive, earning an immediate backlash from the ruling Trinamul Congress.
These schemes are Pradhan Mantri Abas Yojana Gramin (PMA Y-G), Indira Abas Yojana (IAY) and Banglar Bari over which Chief Electoral Officer West Bengal Manoj Agarwal wrote to the EC on January 26, amid the SIR hearing process, to clarify on the admissibility of the documents since it earlier indicated of accepting ‘any land/house allotment certificate by government’ from the voters.
Issuing a clarification to Mr Agarwal on Monday, the EC referred to the Supreme Court’s February 9-direction which stated, “The affected persons to whom notices have been served shall be entitled to rely on all or any of the documents referred to by the ECI in the SIR notice, and all such documents, including those referred to in our order dated 19.01.2026, shall be considered by the EROs when passing orders on the objections received in response to the notices served.”
It pointed out, “The Commission in its SIR instructions dated 27.10.2025 has prescribed “Any Land/House allotment certificate by Government” as one of the indicative documents. The financial assistance sanction letters issued under schemes such as PMAY-G, IAY, Banglar Bari (Gramin), etc., are not the documents as specified either in the order of the Hon’ble Supreme Court or in the SIR instructions referred to above.”
In an X-handle post, TMC however accused the EC of “applying electoral rules selectively in Bengal, with the objective of maximising voter deletions” and “in violation of the spirit of” the SC order “relying on technical vagueness.”
It said, “Need we remind the ECI that the Supreme Court observed that, as a constitutional body, it must function in a manner that upholds the trust of the electorate and ensures that every eligible voter is able to exercise their franchise, not create an atmosphere of fear and exclusion? The Commission is constitutionally mandated to protect the people’s vote, not advance the political interests of any party. They are the Election Commission. Not an Election Omission.”
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