‘Go back Gyanesh Kumar’ slogans greet CEC in Kolkata ahead of poll review

The arrival of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in Kolkata on Sunday evening triggered protests in parts of the city, with demonstrators waving black flags and raising slogans against the Election Commission as his convoy travelled from the airport to a hotel.

Kumar is on a three day visit to West Bengal to participate in a full bench meeting of the Election Commission , aimed at reviewing preparations for the upcoming Assembly elections in the state . The visit comes amid heightened political tensions over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls currently being carried out across the state.

As the Chief Election Commissioner’s convoy moved through the New Town area , groups of protesters gathered along the route waving black flags and shouting slogans such as “Go Back CEC,” “Go Back Gyanesh Kumar,” “Save Democracy,” and “Murderer of Democracy.” Security personnel deployed along the route quickly moved to control the situation, placing barricades to prevent demonstrators from stepping onto the road while the convoy passed.

One of the protests was led by Trinamool Congress MLA Tapas Chatterjee, who claimed that the agitation reflected broader public anger over the Election Commission’s actions.

“Our chief minister is holding a sit-in protest in central Kolkata and we are demonstrating here against the Chief Election Commissioner, who we believe is acting against democracy and the Constitution,” Chatterjee said while addressing the protesters.

Despite the demonstrations, Kumar did not directly respond to the protesters and continued with his scheduled engagements. Speaking briefly to reporters later, he said that everyone has the right to protest in a democracy , adding that the Commission would continue consultations with officials, political parties and the media regarding election arrangements.

The protests come against the backdrop of a political confrontation between the state’s ruling party and the poll panel. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has been vocal in criticising the Election Commission and has accused the Chief Election Commissioner of acting as a “stooge of the BJP.”

During the visit, the Election Commission’s full bench held meetings with representatives from several political parties, including the Trinamool Congress, BJP, CPI(M) and Congress , to assess election preparedness. Parties raised concerns about the verification of nearly 60 lakh voter records under the Special Intensive Revision exercise.

Some parties also suggested that the West Bengal Assembly elections be conducted in one or two phases to ensure better security management and smoother polling.

The Election Commission assured all stakeholders that it would take necessary steps to ensure free, fair and transparent elections in the state, with the poll schedule expected to be announced in the coming weeks.