ECI suspends 7 West Bengal officials over ‘serious misconduct’ in voter list revision
Kolkata: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has suspended seven West Bengal officials and ordered disciplinary action against them for "serious misconduct" and "dereliction of duty" during the state's ongoing voter list revision.
The move comes amid a high-stakes legal battle over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. The ECI directed West Bengal's Chief Secretary to initiate proceedings against the officials, primarily Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs), accusing them of misusing statutory powers.
The suspended personnel include Dr Sefaur Rahaman (Samserganj), Nitish Das (Farakka), Dalia Ray Choudhury (Maynaguri), Sk. Murshid Alam (Suti), Satyajit Das and Joydeep Kundu (Canning Purbo), and Debashis Biswas (Debra).
Supreme Court Intervenes
The administrative crackdown follows a Supreme Court ruling that extended the deadline for the final electoral roll by one week. A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant determined that registration officers required more time to verify documents and address claims.
The Court also issued a show-cause notice to West Bengal’s Director General of Police (DGP), seeking an explanation for allegations of violence and the reported burning of election records during the revision exercise. Chief Justice Kant emphasised that the court "will not allow any impediment" to the SIR process.
Revised Electoral Timeline
Following the judicial order, West Bengal's Chief Electoral Officer released a new schedule to finalise the voter lists:
- Feb. 14: Completion of notice hearings (already concluded).
- Feb. 21: Deadline for document review and disposal of claims.
- Feb. 25: Completion of polling station rationalisation.
- Feb. 27: Final checks on "health parameters" of the roll.
- Feb. 28: Official publication of the final electoral roll.
The extension shifted the original publication date from Feb. 14 to the end of the month, a delay the court deemed essential for ensuring the accuracy of the rolls.
Political Friction
The revision process has been a flashpoint for political tension. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had previously challenged the exercise in court, alleging that millions of voters risked being purged due to minor clerical errors or spelling discrepancies.
Conversely, the ECI has alleged systemic attempts to derail the revision, including intimidation of officials and the destruction of objection forms. The commission is now integrating over 8,500 state government officers into the process to assist in verifying the 13.6 million voters currently under scrutiny.
With inputs from ANI