Election Commission suspends Bengal officials after fake voter entries exposed
IIE DIGITAL DESK : The Election Commission of India (ECI) took decisive action in response to irregularities uncovered during a routine voter-roll revision exercise in West Bengal. It ordered the immediate suspension of four senior election officials—two Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and two Assistant EROs—and a casual data entry worker, following evidence that they had shared login credentials for the electoral roll database with unauthorised individuals and facilitated wrongful additions of names in two Assembly constituencies: Baruipur Purba in South 24 Parganas and Moyna in Purba Medinipur .
The suspension was prompted by a report submitted by the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal on July 29, which highlighted how these personnel failed in their duties—both by improperly processing voter application forms (Form 6) and by breaching data security protocols by distributing sensitive access to others . The ECI has instructed the West Bengal Chief Secretary to lodge First Information Reports (FIRs) against the four officers and the data operator under charges of criminal misconduct, and to initiate disciplinary action without delay .
Political reactions followed swiftly. BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya welcomed the ECI’s move, calling the wrongful additions a compromise of national security, and framed the voter-list cleanup as a public demand—not merely a party demand . The Congress echoed concerns, questioning the motive behind the fake registrations and urging investigation into political infiltration behind the misconduct . TMC’s Debangshu Bhattacharya issued a guarded response, acknowledging that any wrongdoing must be addressed but warning that the ECI's action might be influenced by BJP motives and intended to intimidate administrative staff .
The incident is not isolated: earlier sample checks flagged 127 fake entries in voter rolls in North and South 24 Parganas, raising alarms about systemic flaws in the revision process under the supervision of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and EROs. Those cases triggered CEO-ordered probes into vote-list irregularities, placing the integrity of the entire electoral process under scrutiny. Complaints by opposition leaders, particularly Suvendu Adhikari, suggest the existence of up to over one crore questionable voter entries—allegedly including Rohingya and Bangladeshi migrants, duplicate entries, and deceased persons—and demand a special summary revision in West Bengal similar to the one currently underway in Bihar.
The ECI's action signals enforcement under Section 32 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950—under which poll officials are considered de facto deputees of the commission during roll preparation and revision. The suspension of the four officers and data operator—ultimately five individuals—may serve as a warning against future lapses and indicates potential follow-up action against other errant officials .
The controversy is unfolding amid heightened political tensions ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections in Bengal. TMC chief Mamata Banerjee has criticized hurried deletions of genuine voters during the revision process and stressed that no genuine voter should be removed without thorough verification and opportunity to defend their inclusion—directing repeated home visits by BLOs to minimize errors .
This episode raises broader questions about election integrity, administrative accountability, and the politicisation of voter-list reforms in Bengal. It underscores the need for stricter oversight during mass roll revisions and judicial or internal scrutiny of electoral machinery. It also reflects how electoral authorities like the ECI are being drawn into political fault lines—signaling zero tolerance for misconduct, but also prompting concerns about possible bias in implementation.
The suspended officials now face FIRs, disciplinary proceedings, and the uncertain future of their careers unless exoneration is achieved. Meanwhile, the ECI has demanded an immediate action report, including details of any other agencies or data operators involved, by mid-August—a timeline intended to ensure transparency and curb further voter-list manipulation.
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