Kolkata, 4 August (H.S.) -Following similar revelations in Baruipur and Moyna, the Election Commission has now uncovered 102 bogus voters in two more West Bengal constituencies—Nandakumar in Purba Medinipur and Rajarhat-Gopalpur in North 24 Parganas. Taking serious note of the matter, the Commission has summoned the Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) responsible for both constituencies to the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) in Kolkata.

According to Commission sources, 59 fake voter names were detected in Nandakumar, while 43 were found in Rajarhat-Gopalpur. It is alleged that in these cases, the Booth Level Officers (BLOs) did not carry out any physical verification of the documents submitted for voter enrollment. In fact, it appears that BLOs were not even deputed to verify the details of the new entries.

The role of data entry operators has also come under scrutiny. The Commission has reportedly decided to lodge FIRs against the individuals involved. Additionally, a formal complaint has been sent to the Election Commission of India, alleging a breach of administrative protocol by both EROs.

One of the most serious allegations is that the EROs shared their login credentials, which may have enabled unauthorized entries in the electoral rolls. Election Commission officials believe that the EROs were directly involved in facilitating the inclusion of fake voters, and legal action against them is being planned.

Earlier, similar irregularities were reported in Baruipur and Moyna, where questions were raised regarding the conduct of EROs. These fresh incidents, surfacing amid the ongoing Special Summary Revision (SSR) process, have created a stir in the political and administrative circles.

The Election Commission has made it clear that strict disciplinary and legal action will be taken if negligence or collusion is proven in the investigation.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh