India, Nov. 4 -- The Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls begins in West Bengal on Tuesday, igniting a political clash between the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.

What is normally a routine administrative exercise has turned into a political flashpoint, with the BJP hailing the SIR as a move toward transparency, while the TMC has accused the poll body of acting under BJP pressure to manipulate the voter rolls. Both parties see the revision as the first major test before the state heads to polls next year.

The BJP claims that West Bengal's voter rolls are riddled with fake entries, alleging that over 40 lakh duplicate or bogus ...