The Election Commission has summoned chief secretary Manoj Pant to Delhi on Wednesday after the poll panel termed as “unsatisfactory” the Bengal government’s reply to its directive in connection with the “irregularities” in electoral roll revision.
Sources said the state government was in no mood to “bow to EC pressure”. On August 5, the EC had directed Pant to suspend, initiate departmental proceedings and lodge FIRs against the four officials accused of inserting fake names in the electoral rolls for the Moyna and Baruipur (East) Assembly segments.
The EC had also asked the chief secretary to lodge an FIR against a contractual data entry operator.
After the order was sent to Nabanna, chief minister Mamata Banerjee tore into the poll panel and made it clear that her government would not take any action against the officials. At public rallies and government events that Mamata has addressed since August 5, she has attacked the EC for its “audacity” to order the suspension of Bengal officials.
On August 8, the EC asked Pant to send a compliance report by 3pm on Monday (August 11). In his reply, the chief secretary informed the EC that the state government had removed the assistant electoral registration officer of Moyna and the data entry operator from poll-related duties and initiated an internal inquiry against them.
He stated that taking stern measures against the identified officers would be harsh before the completion ofthe inquiry.
However, the EC onTuesday said it was notsatisfied with the chief secretary’s reply.
“The EC on Tuesday communicated to the chief secretary of Bengal that his reply on the poll panel’s directive to suspend four officials and one computer operator was unsatisfactory. He was given a chance to comply with the order by Tuesday evening. The chief secretary has to be present before the commission by 5pm tomorrow (Wednesday), even if he sends a compliance order on Tuesday,” a source said.
Sources in the state secretariat said Pant would fly to Delhi on Wednesday morning and no further action would be taken against theaccused officials.
A section of officials said such a crisis had not happened in the recent past.
“This is the first time in recent memory that a state has refused to comply with the directive of the poll panel. The poll panel will surely initiate some action to reaffirm its plenary power over the work related to the electoral rolls. But it is tough to guess the action,” a bureaucrat said on condition of anonymity.
A source said the EC might feel compelled to take action to set an example for Opposition-ruled states before rolling out the special intensive revision of rolls acrossthe country.