BJP Alleges TMC Collusion in Electoral Process, Demands FIRs Against Officers
A BJP delegation, led by Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari, met Governor Dr CV Ananda Bose on Monday, leveling serious allegations of deliberate harassment by electoral officers in collusion with the Trinamool Congress and its political advisor firm, the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), during the ongoing Special Intensive Review (SIR) process. The delegation, comprising BJP MLAs and senior party leaders, demanded immediate action, including the filing of First Information Reports (FIRs) against the officers involved.
Threat to Block State Elections
Adhikari issued a stern warning, stating that the BJP will not allow the West Bengal assembly elections to proceed unless the state's electoral rolls are thoroughly cleaned through the SIR exercise, ensuring only genuine voters are listed. "We will not allow the state elections to take place with erroneous electoral rolls," Adhikari emphasized, adding that if the poll process is not completed in Bengal by midnight on May 5, President's Rule will automatically be invoked, leading to governance from the Lok Bhavan.
Allegations of Deliberate Errors and Harassment
The letter submitted by the delegation detailed specific grievances, accusing Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs), and some Booth Level Officers (BLOs) of intentionally making mistakes or discrepancies. These include errors in the spelling of names or surnames and issuing notices to harass voters. "The EROs, AEROs, and some BLOs individually or collectively are deliberately making mistakes or discrepancies, such as errors in the spelling of names or surnames, and issuing notices to harass voters," the letter stated.
Lack of Data Entry Operators and State Government Indifference
The BJP further alleged that despite repeated requests from the Election Commission of India (ECI) to the Chief Secretary and Finance Secretary of the state government, no Data Entry Operators have been appointed for the SIR process. This non-appointment, according to the party, is making it impossible to complete the SIR process correctly and on time. "Given their indifference, the question naturally arises whether the CS and FS are deliberately disrupting the entire SIR process," the letter added.
Violation of ECI Guidelines and Political Interference
Adhikari highlighted instances where EROs and AEROs have appointed contractual employees for the SIR process or for issuing notices and conducting hearings, actions he claimed are completely contrary to ECI guidelines. As evidence, he pointed to the suspension of the ERO and AERO of Basirhat for such illegal acts, with the ECI instructing the concerned District Election Officer to file an FIR against them.
He further alleged that Trinamool Congress political leaders and goons are present in hearing centers, making political speeches through microphones, issuing criminal threats to individuals attending hearings, and creating an atmosphere of disturbance and fear. In some cases, where Form 7 for deletion of a voter was filed by a voter of the same Assembly constituency, EROs or AEROs filed criminal complaints with local police stations, resulting in the arrest of the complainant even before conducting a hearing.
Demand for Immediate Action and Governor's Response
The delegation demanded immediate action, including filing FIRs against all EROs and AEROs who have disregarded ECI guidelines and committed these acts. They also requested the Governor to initiate disciplinary proceedings against such electoral officers. Adhikari expressed frustration over not being granted an immediate meeting with the Chief Secretary, stating, "We had mailed seeking an appointment for a meeting with the Chief Secretary on Monday but we were given time on February 6."
Referring to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's visit to Delhi, Adhikari commented, "India is a democratic country. Everyone has the right to oppose anything mooted by the authorities... what is required is that democracy continues. We cannot sleep in a democracy." He also described the events outside Banga Bhawan in Delhi as "a matter of shame for Bengal."
Governor's Assurance
In response, Governor CV Ananda Bose told media persons, "That is the message (that the state government is not cooperating with the LoP) which is given by the Leader of Opposition, who came with a large number of MLAs. They have a complaint, which I will take up with the state government, the Chief Electoral Officer and the Government of India." This assurance indicates that the matter will be escalated to higher authorities for further investigation and action.
