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New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday suspended four West Bengal government officers, two Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and two Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs), over alleged inclusion of the names of fictitious voters in the state's electoral rolls. The poll panel has also directed the state's Chief Secretary to file FIRs against the four officials and a data entry operator for criminal misconduct and violation of data security protocols.
According to an ECI letter to the state government, the suspended officers, posted in Baruipur Purba and Moyna Assembly constituencies, had failed in their duties by approving numerous applications under Form 6 without mandatory field verification. The officers also allegedly shared their login credentials for the ERO Net database. The ERO net database is a centralised digital system used to manage electoral rolls.
"These officers not only failed to supervise the application process but also compromised electoral data by allowing unauthorised access," the ECI stated.
The action follows a report submitted on July 29 by the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal. The report flagged serious irregularities in the addition of new voters. A subsequent probe by the poll panel found that the verification process, including checks by the Booth Level Officers (BLOs), were bypassed.
The CEO has instructed the District Magistrates who also serve as District election Officers, in light of these findings to form special investigative teams to scrutinise all Form 6 applications processed over the past year.
The suspensions have sparked a fresh political row in the state, particularly, amid growing speculation that West Bengal may soon undergo a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of its electoral rolls. It will be a rigorous clean-up exercise similar to the one carried out in Bihar. The drive in Bihar saw over 400 FIRs filed and more than 50 officials arrested for electoral fraud.
BJP state president and Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya said, "We welcome the ECI's action. The electoral roll in Bengal is full of illegal Bangadeshi immigrants, Rohingyas and dead voters. The public has lost trust in the system under the TMC rule. This is a step towards restoring democratic integrity."
The ruling Trinamool Congress has however taken a sharp jibe. TMC spokesperson Debangshu Bhattacharya said, "If wrongdoing has occurred, action must be taken. But we question whether the ECI is acting in line with the narrative pushed by the BJP. Are these suspensions part of a larger plan to intimidate government officers ahead of elections?”
The ECI has already initiated groundwork for a potential SIR by seeking Booth Level Agent (BLA) lists from political parties and conducting training sessions for BLOs.
