Banerjee made the demand during a Facebook Live broadcast, stating that the BJP and the Election Commission had compromised the integrity of the West Bengal assembly polls held earlier this year and that "there will be pan‑India protests till Gyanesh Kumar remains CEC".
Her remarks followed a report by The Indian Express that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had repeatedly red‑flagged irregularities in the nationwide SIR exercise, including the deletion of voter names in several states, and had formally objected at least 14 times over the past ten months to decisions taken without their knowledge.
The Election Commission, however, rejected the implication of internal dissent, saying that all decisions related to the SIR were taken unanimously with the approval of all three commissioners, including the chief commissioner.
Banerjee added that a re‑election must be held using the old voter list and said that partners in the INDIA bloc have discussed the issue and will meet soon to coordinate a response.
The demand for a new election comes days after the Election Commission froze the use of the "All India Trinamool Congress" name and its reserved "twin flowers‑and‑grass" symbol amid a factional split within the party. For the October 6 by‑polls, the poll panel assigned interim identities: Banerjee’s faction received the label "Mamata All India Trinamool Congress" with a football‑player symbol, while the rival faction led by Arup Roy was allotted the name "Democratic Trinamool Congress" and an envelope symbol.