Kolkata, 03 January (H.S.) :

As the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls progresses in West Bengal, allegations of vindictive action by the Election Commission have intensified. On Thursday, the Commission directed district magistrates to register FIRs against five state government employees over alleged irregularities during the distribution and collection of enumeration forms.

According to sources, the officials against whom action has been ordered include two Electoral Registration Officers, two Assistant Electoral Registration Officers and one data entry operator. The five officials are posted in Baruipur and Moyna in East Midnapore. District administrations have been instructed to file FIRs immediately and submit compliance reports to the Commission without delay.

Political circles view this move as a counter-action following the recent filing of an FIR in Para police station in Purulia district against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal. That complaint was lodged by the Trinamool Congress after the death of an elderly man, Durjan Maji, in the Para police station area. Maji allegedly died out of anxiety over whether he would be able to reach the SIR hearing centre in time.

The Trinamool Congress has accused the Election Commission of creating an atmosphere of chaos across the state through the SIR process. The party has claimed that confusion over hearings, documentation and voter verification has caused widespread fear, particularly among elderly voters. Following the FIR against the top election officials, the Commission’s directive against state employees is being described by a section of political observers as a sharp and retaliatory response.

The Election Commission, however, maintains that the action has been taken strictly on administrative grounds after complaints of irregularities surfaced during the enumeration process. Officials said any deviation from prescribed procedures during the SIR exercise would be dealt with firmly, irrespective of the position held by those involved.

With political tensions rising over the voter list revision process, the SIR exercise in West Bengal continues to remain at the centre of a growing confrontation between the ruling party and the Election Commission.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh