India
Former CEC Questions Legitimacy of West Bengal Elections
Former Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi has stated that the West Bengal elections were not legally valid. He reiterated that decisions at the Election Commission of India should be based on a majority. "Were the West Bengal elections legally valid? In my opinion, it was not. I have said this several times; I will say it again. Now it is in front of the Supreme Court; I am hoping they will take the right decision," Mr. Quraishi said. He added that some parts of the elections may have been valid, but that areas where there were suspicions of majority Muslim voters being removed should be re‑checked and re‑polls held if necessary. On Friday, November 6, 2026, Minister Dilip Ghosh responded to Mr. Quraishi’s allegations, noting that the government has been in power for six to seven months and that people are generally happy. He said some people are raising questions because they did not get the outcome they desired, and warned that accepting the people’s verdict and choice of government is the right decision; otherwise those opposing it face a “tough” road ahead. Mr. Quraishi made the remarks during his keynote address at the Hashim Abdul Halim Memorial Lecture on Thursday, November 5, 2026, in Kolkata. He said the CEC is not the Election Commission and that the rules first call for unanimous decisions. If unanimity is not possible, a majority‑based decision among the three members of the ECI is required. He also noted that the CEC alone cannot make a final decision. The former CEC referred to an Indian Express report that claimed election commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised at least 14 objections to decisions allegedly taken unilaterally by CEC Gyanesh Kumar. Mr. Quraishi further said that voters should not have to beg for their voting rights; historically voter cards were delivered to voters’ homes, and they did not have to negotiate to be included in the voter lists. He accused the special intensive revision (SIR) process of being used for back‑door checks of citizenships, describing it as neither smooth nor transparent. He said many questions are now being heard in the Supreme Court and that a judgment will clarify what went wrong and what was correct. Published – November 07, 2026 01:57 am IST
Frequently asked questions
What did former CEC S.Y. Quraishi say about the West Bengal elections?
He stated they were not legally valid and that some parts may have been valid, but areas where majority Muslim voters were removed should be re‑checked and re‑polls held if necessary.
How did Minister Dilip Ghosh respond to Quraishi's allegations?
He said the government has been in power for six to seven months, people are generally happy, some people raise questions because they did not get the desired outcome, and warned that accepting the people's verdict is the right decision; otherwise those opposing it face a tough road ahead.
What did Quraishi say about the decision‑making process of the Election Commission?
He said the CEC is not the Election Commission, rules require unanimous decisions, and if unanimity is not possible a majority‑based decision among the three ECI members is required; the CEC alone cannot make a final decision.