The Bengal government has urged the Election Commission to revoke its directive to lodge FIRs against four state government officials for the alleged inclusion of fictitious voters in the electoral rolls of the Baruipur East and Moyna Assembly segments.
The development assumed significance as many in the state administration said that the ongoing conflict between the EC and the state's ruling dispensation could intensify with the stance of Nabanna.
The state government has mentioned in a letter to the CEO of West Bengal, Manoj Agarwal, that three of the officials were not found guilty and a minor lapse was established against one official following departmental proceedings against them. The matter was also sent to the state's advocate general for his opinion, and he also opined against lodging FIRs against the officials.
On August 5 last year, the EC had asked the then chief secretary Manoj Pant to suspend the then EROs and AEROs of Baruipur East in South 24 Parganas and Moyna in East Midnapore for inserting fictitious names in the electoral rolls.
Though the state government refused to act against the officer initially, the four officials were suspended after Pant was summoned to Delhi and was given a week's time to implement the directive. But the government did not lodge any FIRs, saying further steps would be initiated after completion of an internal inquiry.
On January 2, the EC issued a fresh directive to the Bengal CEO Manoj Agarwal to instruct the DEOs of the two districts to lodge the FIRs.
But since then, no FIRs were lodged against the officials, even if the two reminders were sent to the concerned DEOs.
The special commissioner of the state home department wrote a letter dated January 14 to the CEO stating the state's position on the issue.
"In pursuance of the opinion of the Ld. Advocate General and based on the fact that departmental proceedings have since been conducted and completed resulting in exoneration of three officials, imposition of minor penalty on one and termination of service of a contractual employee, the direction of the Commission to the District Election Officers to file FIR against the government officers may be revoked at this post exoneration stage," the letter reads.
Sources in the CEO's office said that the letter was forwarded to Nirvachan Sadan, who would take a call on this.
Sources in the state administration said that the stance taken by Nabanna made it clear that the chief minister would stand by the state government officials in all possible situations.
"If the state lodges FIRs against the officers, there would be a serious reaction among the state government officers conducting the SIR exercise. The ruling establishment cannot take the risk, as they would be conducting the hearings under the ongoing SIR. Moreover, these officers would play an important role in conducting the polls due inthe next three months. No ruling party would like to face the wrath of such officers," said a bureaucrat in Nabanna.
Sources said it would be difficult for the EC to sit idle after getting the letter for several reasons.
First, they have confessed their faults in writing before the EC. Now, if the EC accepts the findings of the departmental proceedings, it would be tough for the poll panel to initiate action against any errant official in future, sources said.
Second, if errant officials are not punished, it would be tough for the poll panel to complete the SIR properly, as no one would follow the directives of the EC during this crucial stage of SIR, said another official.
"Now, it remains to be seen how the poll panel reacts to the stance of Nabanna," said a bureaucrat.