West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has written a sharply worded letter to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging two “disturbing” actions by the CEO of West Bengal that she says raise serious concerns about neutrality, fairness, and political interference.
In the letter dated November 24, 2025, Banerjee objects to what she calls a “questionable” Request for Proposal (RfP) issued by the CEO’s office to hire 1,000 data entry operators and 50 software developers for election-related work, while instructing district officials not to use existing contractual staff such as those from Bangla Sahayata Kendras. She questions the need for outsourcing when districts already employ trained personnel and warns that such an exercise may be undertaken “at the behest of a political party to serve vested interests.”
Banerjee also raises flags over a second development: the proposal to set up polling stations inside private housing complexes. Calling the idea “deeply problematic,” she argues that polling stations have always been placed in government or semi-government institutions to maintain neutrality. Private buildings, she writes, risk “compromising fairness,” creating “discriminatory distinctions between privileged residents and the general public,” and violating established norms.
“Why is such a move being contemplated at all? Is it being done under pressure from a political party?” Banerjee asks, repeating “Why? Why? Why?” to underline her disapproval.
Warning that the implications could “severely impact the fairness of the electoral process,” the Chief Minister urges the Election Commission to ensure transparency and uphold its dignity and credibility, stressing that these must remain “above reproach” and “not compromised under any circumstances.”
She ends the letter with a call for immediate intervention from the CEC.