People won’t forgive ‘Vanish Kumar’: Mamata takes dig at CEC, questions immunity before poll panel

Mamata Banerjee, former Chief Minister of West Bengal, along with other leaders during a press conference in New Delhi on October 1, 2026. | Photo credit: Shashi Shekhar Kashyap

Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee said on Thursday (Oct 1, 2026) that the people of India will not forgive those responsible for taking away their voting rights and questioned the immunity provisions of the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners under the 2023 Act.

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Referring to CEC Gyanesh Kumar as “Vanish Kumar”, Ms Banerjee said: “He made human rights disappear. How can I forgive him? Who am I? It is the people of India who will not forgive him.”

In a press conference, she said that the TMC had opposed the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the West Bengal electoral roll from the very beginning and alleged that the Election Commission (ECI) had centralized the exercise.

“We went to court but we didn’t get justice. We went to the EC with 100 victims. They insulted us,” she said, alleging that TMC MPs who went to meet the CEC were told to “get lost”.

The former Chief Minister of West Bengal challenged the immunity provisions under the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Tenure) Act, 2023, which protects against civil or criminal prosecution for acts committed in the performance or purported performance of official duties.

“If someone is in charge of taking care of the electoral process and democracy according to the Constitution and the duties of democracy, then it doesn’t matter. We respect that. But if someone sits in a chair because of immunity…,” she said.

The 2023 Act provides protection to a serving or former CEC or ECI from civil or criminal prosecution for an act, thing or word committed, done or uttered in the course of acting or pretending to act in the performance of an official duty or function.

On the delisting of voters during the SIR, Ms. Banerjee claimed that the exercise disproportionately affected constituencies and areas that the TMC had won in the West Bengal Assembly polls held earlier in the year.

“Where we won, four times as many voters were struck out,” she said.

The TMC chief also alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had “orchestrated” incidents involving the burning of about 4,000 electronic voting machines (EVMs) in West Bengal.

She further alleged that the TMC and its workers are facing restrictions and harassment in West Bengal.

“I am not allowed to move out of my house without a court order. Our party is not allowed to hold meetings. Cases have been registered against our workers. There is no security at my residence either, nothing.”

“Every day 200-300 hooligans come, shout and do hooliganism in front of my house. Now, after 8 pm, there is no one on the road,” said Ms. Banerjee.

Published – 01 Oct 2026 18:27 IST