West Bengal Election 2026: TMC Walks Out of Meeting With CEC, Claims ‘Get Lost’ Remark by Chief Election Commissioner

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On Wednesday, April 8, 2026, a political storm erupted in West Bengal ahead of the Assembly elections following a heated exchange between the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Election Commission of India (ECI) over a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The controversy began when a TMC delegation, led by senior leader Derek O'Brien, met the CEC in New Delhi to raise concerns over the alleged large-scale deletion of voters’ names during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and the transfer of officials after the Model Code of Conduct came into force. According to O’Brien, the meeting lasted only a few minutes and quickly turned hostile. He claimed that the Chief Election Commissioner told the delegation to “get lost,” prompting them to walk out.

“I want to tell you what the Chief Election Commissioner told us within seven minutes of the meeting. 'Get lost' – this is what the Chief Election Commissioner told the Trinamool Congress delegation… So we left. We are the second largest opposition party in Parliament,” O’Brien said.

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He further added that “the meeting started at 10:02 AM and ended at 10:07 or 08 AM. First we showed them 9 letters written by the chairperson of All India Trinamool Congress to the Election Commissioner.” He said there had been no replies to these letters and added, “We told them all our letters were ignored. We gave them six examples of officials linked to BJP with examples, and they are part of the election process.”

“Then we raised concerns about transfers and how free and fair elections would be conducted, he asked us to leave… What I saw today is a shame,” O’Brien said, also challenging the ECI to release audio or video of the meeting.

However, sources of NDTV within the Election Commission presented a sharply different account, alleging that O’Brien raised his voice during the meeting and interrupted the CEC. According to them, Gyanesh Kumar asked the TMC leader to maintain decorum, stating that “shouting and indecent behaviour is not appropriate” in the Commission’s office.

Soon after the meeting, the ECI issued a statement on social media titled “ECI’s Straight-talk to Trinamool Congress,” asserting that the upcoming elections in West Bengal would be conducted in a “fear-free, violence-free, intimidation-free, and inducement-free” manner, without malpractice such as booth capturing or voter intimidation.

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The TMC responded with a counter-statement, accusing the Commission of bias and questioning its neutrality. “This time, the elections must be free from Delhi’s control, where every genuine voter can actually cast their vote, where Central Forces are not deployed as BJP’s private army, free from selective targeting, and free from double standards,” the party said. It added, “Whether you like it or not, whether you allow it or not, the democratic mandate of the people of Bengal will ultimately prevail over your sycophancy towards @BJP4India.” The statement was shared in a video post by TMC MP Mahua Moitra.

Other members of the delegation, including TMC leaders Saket Gokhale, Sagarika Ghose, and Menaka Guruswamy, called the ECI tweet a lie. Gokhale said, “This is a LIE. I was personally present at the meeting. NOTHING like this was said.” Ghose also termed the Commission’s version “false” and “a blatant lie.”

The escalating war of words highlights rising political tensions in the state as it heads into elections. Polling for the 294-member West Bengal Assembly will be held in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with counting scheduled for May 4.

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