KOLKATA: Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari on July 29, wrote to the Chief Election Commissioner of India, alleging that Mamata Banerjee was attempting to “intimidate” Booth-Level-Officers (BLOs) in West Bengal.
He urged the Election Commission of India to take cognisance of this matter and act swiftly to ensure the integrity of the electoral process in West Bengal.
In his letter to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, Adhikari alleged that Banerjee made public statements that “constitute a direct and unwarranted interference in the duties of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and the broader electoral framework overseen by the Election Commission of India (ECI)”.
Referring to the Chief Minister’s remarks at a public meeting in Bolpur in Birbhum on July 28, he said, “Mamata Banerjee expressed displeasure over the training of approximately one thousand BLOs in Delhi, alleging that neither she nor the Chief Secretary were informed about this initiative. She further reminded BLOs that they are employees of the State Government, implying that their allegiance lies with the State Administration rather than the ECI during the pre-election and post-election periods.”
“Additionally, she instructed BLOs to ensure that no voter's name is removed from the Voter List, which could be interpreted as an attempt to influence the revision of electoral rolls for political motives,” Adhikari alleged.
He said that Banerjee’s statements are not only an affront to the autonomy and authority of the Election Commission but also a veiled attempt to intimidate and coerce BLOs, who are tasked with ensuring the integrity of the Voter List and the electoral process.
“By asserting that BLOs are ultimately accountable to the State Government, the Chief Minister is undermining the independence of election officials and creating an environment of fear and pressure, which jeopardizes the democratic process Such interference raises serious questions about the possibility of conducting free, fair, and transparent elections in West Bengal,” Adhikari pointed out.
He urged the ECI to take suo moto cognisance of her statements, and conduct a thorough inquiry into the Chief Minister's remarks to ascertain their intent and impact on the independence of BLOs and the electoral process.
He also requested the ECI to reinforce its authority over election related duties, ensuring that BLOs and other officials can perform their responsibilities without fear of reprisal or undue influence from the State Government.
“Implement measures to prevent any manipulation of voter lists and ensure that the revision process adheres strictly to ECI guidelines. If the statements are found to violate any election-related laws, initiate suitable action to uphold the rule of law and protect the democratic process,” Adhikari wrote, while stating that the people of West Bengal deserve elections that are free from coercion. manipulation, or external pressures.
“Any attempt to undermine the ECI's authority or influence election officials must be addressed with the utmost urgency and seriousness to preserve public trust in our democratic institutions,” he said in his letter.
In a press conference on July 29, Adhikari claimed that no one can stop the removal of ‘illegal’ and ‘fake’ names from the voter lists. He said, “The Chief Minister says that she will not let any name be removed. I say that names will be removed from the voter lists.”
“The names of Rohingyas, Bangladeshi infiltrators, dead voters, voters whose names are on the voter lists of multiple places and fake voters created by the Chief Minister and I-PAC (the political consultancy firm works for the Trinamool Congress) jointly will not be in the list at all. All these names will be deleted,” he affirmed.
Explaining what he meant by Bangladeshi ‘infiltrators’, Adhikari said, “Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs, Christians who came from neighboring countries due to religious persecution are not infiltrators. They will get valid Indian citizenship through the CAA.”
The BJP leader claimed that from 2019 to 2024, Trinamool Congress did not win any election by getting real public opinion, but won on the strength of the fake voters.
He also claimed that there has been a 30 percent increase in votes in 80 assembly constituencies of the state in the 10 years from 2014 to 2024, which is ‘unusual’. Adhikari believes that all these ‘scams’ in the voter lists will be caught in the ‘Special Intensive Revision’ (SIR).
He also alleged that irregularities are happening in West Bengal in the appointment of BLOs for the survey and correction of the voter lists.
“In the East Midnapore district the Egra Sub-Divisional Magistrate and ERO have appointed 84 ICDS and ASHA workers as BLOs. As soon as I got the news, I informed the Chief Election Commissioner as it was illegal. In a booth where there are permanent government employees, temporary or part-time employees cannot be appointed as BLOs,” he said, adding that the West Bengal government is not following the guidelines given by the ECI in the appointment of EROs.