August 13, 2025

The Election Commission of India (ECI) is turning up the heat in West Bengal's political drama! The Commission summoned the state's chief secretary, Manoj Pant, to its Delhi office at Nirvachan Sadan. Why? Because of a sizzling row involving four state officers accused of adding fake voters to the electoral roll. Back on August 5, the ECI had slammed the Mamata Banerjee government with a clear order: suspend two Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), two Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs), and a data entry operator. The charges? Adding names of imaginary voters and messing with the data security. But guess what? The West Bengal government played slow. On Monday, they only pulled one AERO from Moyna Assembly and the data entry operator from Baruipur Purba out of election-related work. No action was taken against the other three officers. Instead, they kicked off an inquiry. In response, the ECI gave a midnight deadline on Monday at 3 pm for a full compliance report. The state didn’t fully cooperate, so now the chief secretary himself has been summoned at 5 pm on Wednesday. In a letter to ECI secretary Sujeet Kumar Mishra, Pant explained: “Only the services of AERO of Moyna AC and the data entry operator of Baruipur Purba were withdrawn from electoral revision and election-related duties. Further action taken report will be submitted post completion of enquiry.” Pant's letter also pleaded for fairness: “Initiating proceedings before a detailed enquiry against these officers, who have consistently demonstrated sincerity and competence, may be a disproportionately harsh measure. Such an action could have a demoralising impact not only on the individuals but also on the broader team of officers engaged in electoral responsibilities and other administrative functions.” Meanwhile, Mamata Banerjee made it very clear that her government will not punish the officers as ordered by the ECI. This standoff has created a fiery battle between the poll panel and the state government, with high stakes ahead of elections. Will the tug-of-war end soon? Only time will tell!

Read More at Hindustantimes →

Tags: Election commission of india, West bengal, Mamata banerjee, Electoral officers, Fictitious voters, Data security,