ElectoralRolls – ECI Suspends Seven Bengal Poll Officials

ElectoralRolls –  The Election Commission of India has suspended seven Assistant Electoral Registration Officers in West Bengal following allegations that ineligible individuals were added to electoral rolls during a recent revision process. The decision has triggered discussion within the state administration about how the action unfolded.

Action Follows Review of Electoral Rolls

The suspensions were ordered on Sunday night after the Election Commission concluded that the officers had approved entries that did not meet eligibility requirements during the post-Special Intensive Revision of voter lists. According to officials familiar with the matter, a review of randomly selected cases revealed that several applicants were cleared despite lacking proper documentation.

The affected officers were posted across six Assembly segments in the state. Two were serving in Canning Purbo in South 24 Parganas district, while one each was stationed in Suti, Samserganj and Farakka in Murshidabad district, Moynaguri in Jalpaiguri district, and Debra in West Midnapore district. The suspensions took immediate effect.

Speculation Over Administrative Handling

Within sections of the West Bengal Civil Service, there is speculation that the state secretariat at Nabanna may have opted not to initiate direct disciplinary measures, instead allowing the constitutional authority of the Election Commission to take the lead. Senior officers, speaking on condition of anonymity, suggested that the state administration may have deferred to the Commission’s powers in matters related to election duties.

The timing of the decision has drawn attention. The suspensions came just days after Chief Secretary Nandini Chakraborty was called to appear before the full bench of the Election Commission at Nirvachan Sadan in New Delhi. She travelled to the capital on Friday evening to explain the status of compliance with earlier directives issued by the poll panel.

Directives and Deadlines from the Commission

Sources within the Commission indicated that the Chief Secretary had been instructed to file First Information Reports against four government officers by 17 February. These officers, including two members of the state civil service, had previously served as Electoral Registration Officers and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers in the Baruipur Purba and Moyna Assembly segments.

The four are accused of enrolling fictitious voters during last year’s revision exercise. In addition to the FIR directive, the Commission reportedly reiterated the need for strict adherence to its earlier instructions concerning scrutiny of voter applications and corrective measures.

Officials said this marked a rare instance in which the Commission directly suspended officers engaged in poll-related duties in the state, rather than recommending action to the state government for implementation.

Concerns Over Final Publication of Rolls

Election authorities acknowledged that the discovery of irregular approvals has raised concerns ahead of the scheduled publication of the final electoral rolls on 28 February. According to a senior official, the Commission acted to prevent any flawed entries from remaining on the list at the time of final release.

During a random verification exercise, observers flagged several cases where applications had been cleared without sufficient supporting documents. Despite being alerted, the concerned officers reportedly did not initiate corrective steps. “The Commission had to intervene to ensure the accuracy and credibility of the electoral rolls,” an official said.

Wider Scrutiny Underway

The matter may not end with the seven suspensions. Sources within the poll panel indicated that additional officers are under review following complaints about the inclusion of ineligible names. The Commission had recently held a videoconference with District Electoral Officers, directing that all questionable entries be removed from the system by a specified deadline.

Officials warned that if irregular cases remain in the database beyond that deadline, further disciplinary measures could follow. The Commission has emphasized that maintaining accurate voter lists is essential to safeguarding the integrity of the electoral process.

As scrutiny continues, both state authorities and election officials are under pressure to ensure that the final rolls are free from discrepancies. The developments highlight the importance of procedural compliance and oversight in election administration.