The Election Commission (EC) on Wednesday sought a report from the West Bengal Chief Secretary within 72 hours on the action taken against four state government officials accused of illegally adding names to voter lists in two districts, a senior official of the poll body said.
The EC had earlier recommended the suspension of Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) Debottam Dutta Chowdhury and Biplab Sarkar, and Assistant EROs Tathagat Mondal and Sudipto Das.
It also directed that criminal proceedings be initiated against them for alleged irregularities in the preparation of electoral rolls in Purba Medinipur and South 24 Parganas districts.
According to the Commission, the officials allegedly included names of voters on the electoral rolls illegally in the two districts.
The EC had issued clear instructions on August 5, 2025, asking the state government to suspend the officers, begin departmental inquiries and lodge FIRs against them.
In a letter to the Chief Secretary, the EC said, “... you are requested to refer to the Commission's letter dated 05.08.2025, wherein directions were given for suspension and initiation of suitable disciplinary proceedings against the concerned EROs/AEROs and for lodging of FIRs against the erring officials.”
The state’s top bureaucrat was asked to explain by 5 pm on January 24 why the directives had not been implemented, an official of the Commission said.
The EC had initially ordered that FIRs be filed against the officials. However, former Chief Secretary Manoj Panth reportedly did not act on the instructions.
“Even after our repeated orders, FIRs were not filed. We have now asked the district magistrates concerned to act,” the EC official said.
The issue has since taken on a political edge. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, while addressing a meeting in Jhargram, alleged that state government officials were being intimidated by the Election Commission.
Following her remarks, the state Home Department’s Special Commissioner wrote to the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), seeking withdrawal of the directive to file FIRs.
The letter argued that such action would amount to “major punishment for minor mistakes”.
The CEO reportedly forwarded the communication to the EC in Delhi. The poll body, however, remained firm. “No lapse in implementing electoral law will be overlooked,” the Commission said, reiterating its position.
The controversy has its roots in the period before the Special Intensive Review (SIR) of electoral rolls, when the EC flagged what it described as serious violations of procedure.
At the time, the Commission directed the state government to suspend the officials involved, initiate departmental inquiries and file FIRs for allegedly adding “ghost voters” to the rolls.
“Action must be taken to ensure the integrity of the electoral rolls,” the poll body had said, underlining that accountability was central to maintaining public trust in the electoral process.