KOLKATA: Escalating its battle against electoral malpractices, India’s Election Commission has drawn a line in the sand for West Bengal. The state government now has until February 17 to register FIRs against four officials linked to fake voter inclusions in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
The directive, dispatched Saturday to Nabanna, comes after the ECI’s patience wore thin. CEO office insiders say the commission flagged solid evidence of wrongdoing but met stonewalling from state machinery.
Named in the order: Debottram Dutta Chowdhury (ERO) and Tathagata Mandal (AERO) of Baruipur East, South 24 Parganas; Biplab Sarkar (ERO) and Sudipta Das (AERO) from Moyna, East Midnapore. These functionaries allegedly padded voter lists, a tactic critics tie to booth capturing and undue influence.
This builds on an August 2023 ECI order for suspensions and FIRs, which gathered dust. The fresh push signals zero tolerance as India gears up for polls where Bengal’s 8+ crore voters hold sway.
Broader context reveals systemic issues: West Bengal’s rolls have ballooned suspiciously in certain pockets, prompting ECI scrutiny. Successful SIR implementation could prevent repeats of past poll controversies.
Political ripples are inevitable. Allies cheer the ECI’s firmness; the ruling TMC faces renewed scrutiny. Come Tuesday, will FIRs be filed, or will it spark a constitutional tussle? The clock is ticking.