KOLKATA: Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly Suvendu Adhikari has written a letter to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India Gyanesh Kumar, urging him to ensure that no Domicile Certificates issued by the West Bengal Administration issued on or after July 25, 2025, are accepted or considered during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal.
“There is apprehension that these applications may involve Rohingya Muslims and illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, potentially supported by the directive to issue Domicile Certificates to facilitate their enrollment in Voter Lists. Given the sensitivity of the matter, I urge the Election Commission to take preventive measures,” he wrote to CEC.
In the letter, he claimed that the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), West Bengal recently issued a directive to the District Magistrates (DMs) and Sub-Divisional Magistrates (SDMs) of North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Nadia, Murshidabad, Birbhum, Malda, North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur and Cooch Behar districts, instructing to issue a large number of Domicile Certificates in these districts, many of which share border with Bangladesh.
Adhikari said, “Recent report indicates a sudden spike in the submission of Form-6 applications, with approximately 70,000 forms filed in the last week, compared to an average of 20,000-25,000. This surge is particularly noticeable in border districts such as Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri, Malda, North Dinajpur, Murshidabad, Nadia, North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas, where demographic patterns have reportedly shifted over the past decade.”
This directive for the issuance of Domicile Certificates coincides with an alarming increase in the filing of Form-6 applications for Voter Registration, particularly in these border districts, which is a clear cut proactive attempt to dilute the prospective Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal, he alleged.
In a post on X on Monday, Adhikari said, “I have written to the Chief Election Commissioner of India, urging the Election Commission to ensure that no Domicile Certificates issued on or after July 25, 2025, are accepted or considered during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Electoral Rolls, if such activity is conducted in West Bengal. The integrity of our Democracy must be protected and can't be allowed to get diluted for vested interests of Vote Bank Politics.”
“The District Election Officers must remember that they are entrusted with the responsibility of conducting free and fair elections, and their allegiance is with the country and protecting the interests of the country,” it added.
Earlier, Adhikari had claimed that 17 lakh Rohingyas are living in Bengal under the shelter of the Trinamool Congress Government. The claim however, refuted by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who citing a UN Report had said that in total 10 lakh Rohingyas are in the world.