250 Voter ID Cards Seized in Bengal: Election Commission Launches Investigation Before Electoral Roll Revision

Authorities in Bengal's Nadia district have detained a man found in possession of approximately 250 voter identification cards. This incident occurred just before the Election Commission is set to begin the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls across the state.

The Election Commission is preparing to implement a nationwide electoral rolls revision in phases. According to sources, this process is scheduled to commence in November.

The initial phase of the SIR will encompass around ten states, including West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry. The Commission has conducted individual meetings with Chief Electoral Officers from these election-bound regions to assess their preparedness.

Election officials report that Bengal has a substantial voter base of 7.6 crore citizens.

This discovery of numerous voter ID cards has prompted serious concerns about electoral integrity.

Law enforcement officials are investigating how such a large quantity of voter identity cards appeared in Kalyani, who transported them there, and the individuals responsible for this situation.

During police interrogation, the detained individual, who stated he was from Hind Motor in Hooghly district, claimed he was visiting his sister's residence in the Kalyani area of Nadia. He asserted that he discovered the voter ID cards abandoned in roadside vegetation and decided to collect them.

Local residents, finding his explanation suspicious, alerted police authorities about the man.

The West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer has requested a comprehensive report from the Nadia District Magistrate regarding the recovered voter identification cards.

The BJP quickly criticized the Mamata Banerjee administration following the incident.

BJP MLA Ambika Roy stated, "Free and fair elections in West Bengal have become a distant thought, a distant dream. Under the rule of Mamata Banerjee, booth capturing and vote-looting have become a common phenomenon. Free and fair elections are not possible until the Trinamool is in power."