The Election Commission has dismissed allegations of voter list manipulation by Mamata Banerjee. The Congress party has also accused the Trinamool Congress of being adept at creating fraudulent voters.
West Bengal: The political atmosphere in West Bengal has heated up following Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's allegations of voter list manipulation against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Banerjee claimed that the BJP created fraudulent voter lists from within the Election Commission's office and added fake voters to every district in Bengal. However, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal has dismissed these claims.
Election Commission's Statement – Voter List Update Process is Transparent
The CEO of West Bengal released an official statement on the social media platform X, stating that voter list updates are carried out in accordance with the RP Act 1950, the Voter Registration Rules 1960, and the Voter List Manual. Under this, BLOs (Booth Level Officers), AEROs (Assistant Electoral Registration Officers), EROs (Electoral Registration Officers), DEOs (District Election Officers), and CEOs are responsible in each state and union territory.
The statement further clarified that any claims or objections regarding the voter list can be submitted to the relevant authorities. In the state, 80,633 BLOs, 3,049 AEROs, and 294 EROs are working on this process.
How are Voter Lists Updated?
The CEO's statement emphasized that the process of creating and updating voter lists adheres strictly to legal protocols. Political parties actively participate in this process. Any objections raised at any stage are immediately addressed through hearings.
- Each assembly constituency has Booth Level Agents (BLAs) appointed by political parties.
- Any changes to the voter list are first verified by the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO).
- Legal provisions are followed for any process of adding or removing names.
Congress Targets Trinamool Congress
Responding to Chief Minister Banerjee's allegations, the Congress party launched a counter-attack. Senior Congress leader and former state president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury accused the Trinamool Congress of creating fraudulent voters.
Chowdhury stated:
"Millions of fake voters exist in West Bengal. Wherever the ruling party engages in electoral malpractice, millions of fake voters are found. The Mamata government in Bengal has been doing this for years."
The Congress leader also claimed that this practice by the Trinamool Congress is not new, but has been ongoing for many years.
Mamata Banerjee's Allegation – BJP Creating Fake Voters
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in her statement, accused the BJP, saying:
"The BJP created online fake voter lists sitting in the Election Commissioner's office. Fake voters have been added to every district in Bengal. The BJP has won elections in Delhi and Maharashtra through such deceit."
She further stated that while the opposition in Maharashtra failed to recognize this manipulation, she would expose it in Bengal.
- According to Banerjee, most of the fake voters were brought from Haryana and Gujarat.
- She accused the BJP of creating voter list chaos with the help of the Election Commission.
- The Bengal Chief Minister stated that "Bengal's culture gave birth to freedom, and we will not allow democracy to weaken."
The Full Story?
Banerjee's statement has intensified political tension in West Bengal. The BJP, Trinamool Congress, and Congress are engaged in a continuous exchange of accusations. While Banerjee accuses the BJP of adding fake voters, the Congress believes the Trinamool Congress is the true culprit.
