Bengal CEO Denies Mamata Banerjee's Claims of Election Fraud
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Synopsis
The Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal responded to Mamata Banerjee's allegations about BJP's manipulation of the voters' list, clarifying the preparation process of the final voter list and emphasizing the roles of various electoral officials.
Key Takeaways
- Mamata Banerjee accused BJP of electoral misconduct.
- The CEO office explained the voter list preparation process.
- Claims must be made to the designated electoral officers.
- Concerns were raised about the reputation of the new CEC.
- Political parties have a role in the electoral roll process.
Kolkata, Feb 28 (NationPress) Following the allegations made by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee regarding the BJP's manipulation of the voters' list through certain appointed agencies, the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) provided clarity on the process of finalizing the voter list.
During an extended organizational meeting of the Trinamool Congress in Kolkata on Thursday, the Chief Minister accused two alleged BJP-affiliated agencies of contacting data entry staff and conducting malpractices in conjunction with some negligent block-level returning officers.
“They are associating the names of voters from different states with the EPIC numbers of voters in West Bengal,” the Chief Minister stated on Thursday afternoon.
On Friday evening, the CEO office in West Bengal published a statement on its official X account detailing how the final voters' list is compiled in accordance with the Representation Of The People Act, 1950, and the relevant guidelines on electoral rolls. This process involves the collaboration of Booth Level Officers (BLOs), Assistant Electoral Returning Officers (AEROs), Electoral Returning Officers (EROs), District Electoral Officers (DEOs), and the CEOs in any state or Union Territory.
“This procedure is carried out with the active involvement of Booth Level Agents appointed by various political parties. Any specific claims or objections must initially be directed to the designated 80,633 BLOs, 3,049 AEROs, and 294 EROs in West Bengal,” the statement from the CEO office emphasized.
Nonetheless, the CEO office did not clarify why it had to issue an explanatory statement about the voter list upgrade process.
Interestingly, on the same day, West Bengal Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari addressed a letter to the Election Commission of India (ECI), accusing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of damaging the reputation of the new Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, during the party meeting on Thursday.
