BJP Delegation Reports Critical Electoral Roll Irregularities in West Bengal to Election Commission

The delegation from BJP, which included Bengal party chief Samik Bhattacharya and senior leader Amit Malviya, met with Election Commission officials today.

New Delhi:

A delegation from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) held a meeting with Election Commission officials today to highlight what they claim are significant irregularities in West Bengal's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The delegation consisted of West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya, the party's IT department head Amit Malviya, MPs Khagen Murmu and Jagannath Sarkar, along with Om Pathak, the national coordinator for election matters.

The BJP representatives asserted that voter rolls in the state are being manipulated extensively and requested immediate intervention from the Election Commission.

According to Amit Malviya, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are facing pressure from both the state administration and workers of the ruling Trinamool Congress. He pointed out that BLOs have not received their mandatory honorarium of Rs 18,000, and the state government has failed to appoint Data Entry Operators, which has significantly increased the workload for BLOs and hampered the review process. Malviya further alleged that Trinamool workers were pressuring BLOs and attempting to take possession of enumeration forms to complete them themselves.

The BJP delegation also expressed concerns about irregularities during the SIR's first phase. They informed the Commission that statistical projections indicate approximately 88 lakh voters have died since 2002, yet many of these names remain on the electoral rolls. The party claimed that over 22 lakh individuals who have migrated out of the state are still listed as ordinary residents in West Bengal, and alleged there are numerous duplicate entries.

Additionally, the delegation raised issues regarding infiltration from Bangladesh and the inclusion of non-citizens on voter lists. Amit Malviya emphasized that the party does not want Bangladeshi and Rohingya infiltrators influencing the selection of the Chief Minister. The BJP presented examples of fraudulent practices, including cases where deceased or relocated voters were listed as parents of new applicants, and instances where a woman recorded as someone's mother was actually younger than her supposed child.

The party submitted several recommendations to the Commission, including: strengthening the independence of the CEO's office from the state home department; deploying AI-based tools to verify deceased or duplicate voters; granting access to the Janma Mrityu Tathya portal for comparing death records; permitting the use of Aadhaar-linked data to identify multiple registrations; appointing Data Entry Operators promptly; and deploying independent observers to monitor the revision process. The BJP also requested the Commission to provide a clear and uniform definition of an ordinary resident and to appoint senior officials of SDO rank or equivalent as Electoral Registration Officers and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers.

In a related development, the Election Commission has written to the Kolkata Police Commissioner regarding a security breach at the Chief Electoral Officer's office in Kolkata during a protest by BLOs on Monday. In its letter dated November 26, the Commission stated that security arrangements at the CEO's office appeared insufficient and posed a risk to the safety of the CEO and other senior officials. The electoral body directed the police to ensure the protection of officers and staff at the CEO's office, their residences, and during transit. It also instructed an upgrade in security classification given the sensitivity of the SIR process and upcoming elections. The Commission has requested an action taken report within 48 hours.