In a bid to safeguard democracy, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has handed West Bengal a non-negotiable deadline: File FIRs by February 17 against four poll officials proven to have stuffed voter lists with fictitious names.
The Saturday communique to the state secretariat marks the ECI’s exasperation. Despite multiple prods, the administration failed to act on evidence from the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, a source in the CEO’s office disclosed.
The accused roster includes Baruipur East’s Debottram Dutta Chowdhury (ERO) and Tathagata Mandal (AERO) from South 24 Parganas, plus Moyna’s Biplab Sarkar (ERO) and Sudipta Das (AERO) in East Midnapore—hotbeds of electoral contention.
Roots trace to August last year, when ECI mandated immediate suspensions and criminal probes. The lapse has now triggered this ultimatum, underscoring the commission’s commitment to pristine voter rolls.
West Bengal’s electoral landscape is fraught: Inflated lists, deletions disputes, and partisan claims plague the process. ECI’s intervention aims to restore credibility ahead of high-stakes elections.
Observers predict fallout. Opposition outfits demand transparency; the government cites delays in verification. This could catalyze reforms or ignite blame games. Either way, February 17 looms large in Bengal’s poll prep saga.