Suvendu Adhikari urges ECI action over counting duty data leak in Bengal
Synopsis
With votes for all 293 West Bengal Assembly seats set to be counted Monday, BJP's Suvendu Adhikari has raised a pointed alarm: counting officers are allegedly leaking their duty details to departmental unions — potentially enabling political pressure on the very officials who will oversee the results.
Key Takeaways
Suvendu Adhikari alleged on Sunday that officers assigned to West Bengal counting duties are disclosing deployment details to departmental organisations.
He shared WhatsApp screenshots showing spreadsheets where officers reportedly filled in their election duty information.
Adhikari flagged three risks: undue influence, threat to neutrality, and pressure tactics by politically aligned associations.
He urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) and Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal to issue immediate directives and probe the organisations involved.
Counting for all 293 Assembly constituencies is scheduled for Monday across 77 counting centres in West Bengal.
Suvendu Adhikari, Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate for Bhabanipur, has alleged that several officers assigned to counting day duties are reportedly disclosing their specific deployment details to departmental organisations and associations — a development he warns could seriously compromise the integrity of the vote count scheduled for Monday across 77 counting centres in West Bengal.
What Adhikari Alleged
In an X post on Sunday, 4 May, Adhikari claimed that spreadsheets and lists are being circulated — reportedly via WhatsApp — where officers are voluntarily or under pressure filling out their election duty information, including their specific roles in the counting process. He shared screenshots of such WhatsApp messages to substantiate his claim.
Point of View
Backed by screenshots rather than an official complaint alone, shifts the burden squarely onto the ECI to respond before counting begins — not after. The pattern he describes, departmental associations collecting officer deployment data, is not new to West Bengal's electoral landscape, and the Commission's silence or delay will itself be read as a signal by both sides. The more pointed question is whether the ECI has the operational bandwidth to verify and act on such claims in the hours before counting starts, or whether this becomes another post-poll grievance filed after the damage is done.
NationPress
5 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What has Suvendu Adhikari alleged about West Bengal's counting day?
Adhikari has alleged that officers assigned to counting day duties in West Bengal are reportedly disclosing their specific deployment details, locations, and roles to departmental organisations and associations, potentially via WhatsApp spreadsheets. He warned this could enable political pressure on counting officers and compromise the impartiality of the results.
Why does Adhikari consider this a serious violation?
He argues that the confidentiality of officer deployment is fundamental to a fair counting process. When politically aligned organisations know which officer is posted where, it creates scope for intimidation, undue influence, and pressure to favour the ruling party during the critical counting hours.
What action has Adhikari demanded from the Election Commission?
Adhikari has urged the Election Commission of India and the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal to issue strict directives prohibiting officers from disclosing their counting duties, and to initiate a probe into organisations allegedly collecting such sensitive deployment data.
When and where will West Bengal Assembly election votes be counted?
Counting of votes for all 293 West Bengal Assembly constituencies is scheduled for Monday across 77 counting centres in the state. The seats went to polls in a two-phase election.
Who is Suvendu Adhikari?
Suvendu Adhikari is the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly and a senior BJP leader. He is also the BJP candidate for the Bhabanipur constituency in the current West Bengal Assembly election.
