Former CEC Quraishi Calls West Bengal Election Void, Urges Majority‑Based EC Decisions

Former Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi has declared the recent West Bengal state elections legally invalid and has asked the Supreme Court to intervene. He repeated his view that some parts of the poll may have been valid, but said any areas where majority‑Muslim voters were excluded must be re‑checked and possibly re‑polled. Quraishi stressed that the Election Commission of India must decide by majority when unanimity is impossible, noting that the chief election commissioner alone cannot make final rulings. He cited an Indian Express report that election commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi lodged at least 14 objections to decisions taken unilaterally by CEC Gyanesh Kumar. He also criticised the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process as a backdoor check on citizenship and recalled that traditionally voter cards were delivered to homes without voters having to negotiate for inclusion. "It was neither smooth nor transparent," he said, adding that the Supreme Court is hearing many questions and its judgment will clarify what was right or wrong.

Reaction

West Bengal minister Dilip Ghosh responded on Friday, November 6, 2026, saying the state government has been in power for six to seven months and people are generally happy. He suggested that criticism may stem from those dissatisfied with the outcome and warned that rejecting the people’s verdict could lead to a tough road for the opposition.

Details

Quraishi delivered his remarks at the Hashim Abdul Halim Memorial Lecture on Thursday, November 5, 2026, in Kolkata, emphasizing that the CEC is not the entire Election Commission and that rules require unanimous decisions or, failing that, a majority among the three EC members.

Context

The dispute highlights ongoing concerns about election fairness in India, especially the role of the SIR process and internal EC decision‑making rules, while the Supreme Court’s pending verdict will set a precedent for future state polls.