In a sharp political escalation, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in West Bengal have launched a counter-offensive against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's recent criticism of the Election Commission. The Leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, has formally refuted the Chief Minister's allegations, while simultaneously accusing the state government of employing "flawed methods" in granting domicile certificates.
Adhikari's Letter to the Election Commission
In a detailed letter sent to the Election Commission on Monday, Suvendu Adhikari systematically addressed the points raised by Mamata Banerjee. He asserted that the nearly 50,000 Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) were thoroughly trained for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. Adhikari emphasized that a "seamless IT system" was implemented to facilitate the exercise.
Contradicting the CM's claims of administrative hurdles, Adhikari stated that SIR hearings were scheduled with clear notices and were largely conducted in a decentralised manner at the block level. This approach, he argued, was designed to minimise travel for voters. He described allegations of hardships faced by the elderly as a "rare phenomenon."
Allegations of Flawed Domicile Certificates
The BJP leader turned the focus on the state government's actions, alleging a suspicious spurt in the issuance of domicile certificates. He raised a critical legal point, stating, "Domicile certificates cannot be used if the person has not been staying in one place for 10 years." This, he implied, pointed to irregularities in the state's process.
Adhikari also drew a parallel with the rollout of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), accusing the Trinamool Congress of attempting to create fear and disturb communal harmony. "However, thousands of CAA applications have been submitted so far, granted citizenship and not a single Muslim Indian was sent out of the country," he wrote. He claimed the party was using a similar tactic of "spreading false narratives" to dislodge the SIR process.
State BJP Chief's Charges on Caste Certificates
Echoing the concerns, Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya took to social media platform X to highlight another dimension of the controversy. He pointed to the Calcutta High Court's cancellation of many Other Backward Class (OBC) caste certificates issued after 2011, a case now pending in the Supreme Court.
Bhattacharya alleged that because of this, people were unable to use these caste certificates during SIR hearings or for availing centrally-sponsored schemes. "Instead of blaming the administration for its inefficiency, the CM has blamed the SIR," he wrote.
He further accused the ruling Trinamool Congress of opposing the SIR to prevent the deletion of duplicate and false entries from the electoral roll. "The voice of the poor and marginal population is being muted due to these duplicate, ghost and false voters," Bhattacharya added, claiming that "thousands of voters" faced difficulties submitting caste certificates at SIR hearings due to administrative failure.
The Political Standoff and Implications
This exchange of letters and allegations sets the stage for a heated political battle in Bengal, with the integrity of the electoral roll at its center. The BJP's counter-charges shift the spotlight onto the state government's certification processes, while defending the Election Commission's conduct. The claims regarding domicile and caste certificates are likely to become major points of contention in the ongoing revision exercise and beyond, as both parties gear up for future electoral contests.
