The East Burdwan CPM alleged on Saturday that, contrary to the district administration’s claim, a large number of genuine voters were yet to receive enumeration forms as part of the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Apurbo Chatterjee, a member of the CPM’s East Burdwan district secretariat, said alleged discrepancies in the distribution of forms had gone “beyond the realisation of the district electoral officer and his team,” claiming that booth-level officers (BLOs) were too afraid to lodge complaints because of threats to their “life and job” by the ruling party.
“In many booths of our district, BLOs are not being able to work independently and free from political pressure and fear. They are violating rules and working according to the instructions of Trinamool leaders. They are being forced to hand over the enumeration forms to the ruling party,” Chatterjee said.
“In an atmosphere of panic unleashed by the ruling party, the BLOs are afraid to complain, and the DEO is unwilling to act unless there is a complaint,” he added.
The CPM has further claimed that in several areas, Trinamool booth-level agents (BLAs) have taken forms from the BLOs, undermining the very objective of the SIR exercise to identify dead, duplicate, shifted and absentee voters.
At an all-party meeting on Friday, East Burdwan district magistrate Ayesha Rani said “nearly 100 per cent forms have been distributed among the electorate”.
The CPM, however, countered that the situation on the ground was “completely different and alarming”.
Distribution of the SIR forms began across the state on November 4, but with only five days left before the submission deadline, many voters in East Burdwan reportedly neither received the forms nor understood how to fill them out.
Chatterjee said the CPM also questioned the Election Commission’s decision to allow BLAs to collect at least 50 filled-in forms from applicants. “How can the BLOs accept such forms without any proof of authenticity?” Chatterjee asked the DEO during Friday’s meeting.
The CPM alleged that, considering the manner in which the SIR was being conducted, it would generate an electoral roll full of fictitious names. Demanding an “accurate and transparent” voters’ list, the CPM has submitted a memorandum to the district administration.
Trinamool’s Burdwan town committee secretary Tanmoy Sinharoy, however, dismissed the allegations. “The CPM has realised it is losing ground and is making baseless allegations,” he told The Telegraph.
“I was present at the meeting when the CPM raised these allegations. But they could not produce any physical evidence. When the DEO asked them to submit a single specific case to initiate a probe, they failed,” he added.
District magistrate and DEO Ayesha Rani also rejected the charges.
“We have said that 99.97 per cent of enumeration forms were distributed according to the data uploaded by the BLOs. Now, if any political party has any objection, it can let us know with particulars of those electors. We will certainly look into those.”
Similar allegations of irregularities in the distribution, submission and uploading of SIR forms have been raised by the BJP and the CPM in several other districts. Reports from South 24-Parganas suggest BLOs were being compelled to work under the direct supervision of local ruling party leaders, though no official complaint has been filed.