ECI files FIRs against two election officers in Bengal for irregularities in electoral rolls

Kolkata:  The Election Commission of India (ECI) has filed FIRs against two West Bengal government employees engaged in the electoral process in the state, on charges of irregularities in the voters’ lists in the block they were responsible for.

One is Sudipto Biswas, an inspector attached to the West Bengal co-operation department and the other is Avijit Patra, a clerk attached to the same department.

Both were engaged in the electoral process at Namkhana block in South 24 Parganas district.

Earlier this week, the ECI suspended Arun Gorain, assistant system manager attached to Kakdwip sub-division also in South 24 Parganas district, on charges of inappropriate behaviour, which according to the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) West Bengal, “tantamounts to gross misconduct in the discharge of duties.”

Gorain was accused of having inserted his mobile number in the login credentials of a Block Development Officer (BDO) and an Assistant Election Returning Officer in the same division of the district.

An insider from the CEO’s office said that an investigation was initiated following complaints received over irregularities in the voters’ lists in South 24 Parganas district, especially at Namkhana and Kakdwip.

The alleged irregularities mainly related to the inclusion of bogus names in the voters’ list, inadequate deletion of names of deceased voters or electors in whose cases addresses have been changed, and identification of voters having duplicate EPIC cards.

“An investigation has already been initiated against Patra and Biswas following the FIRs registered against them,” confirmed a CEO office insider.

Recently, the ECI also ordered a probe following complaints over the wife of BJP’s West Bengal president and Union Minister of State Sukanta Majumdar holding two voters’ cards from two different districts in the state.

Sources in the CEO’s office added that this time they were taking each and every complaint of irregularities in the voters’ list seriously, with the aim to ensure that next year’s Assembly elections in West Bengal are conducted with an error-free roll.

The BJP, especially Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly Suvendu Adhikari, has been vocal on the need for monitoring of activities of state government employees engaged in the electoral process.

–IANS