‘There is a rule’: West Bengal chief electoral officer dismisses TMC’s ‘voter list manipulation’ charges

West Bengal sparks fierce political row over alleged manipulation of electoral rolls Trinamool Congress (TMC) Ahead of the assembly elections, Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal on Tuesday refuted claims that his office has the machinery to arbitrarily alter the electoral roll.The controversy centered on Form 6, the application form used by first-time voters to register or existing voters to transfer constituencies. The ruling TMC has accused the BJP of trying to flood the system with applications to add “outsiders” to the state’s voter base.Responding to the allegations, Agarwal highlighted the procedural nature of the system, with PTI quoting him as saying: “I would say this is a government office and there is a receiving department where anyone can submit any number of documents.” He added, “One person may submit a hundred thousand documents or one document in a day. As the head of the office, I have no information on this. There are regulations.”He further clarified that submissions are processed at multiple levels and are not directly monitored by him unless escalated: “I don’t need to know who is submitting what. The files are separated and then, if required, those are sent to me. I understand that we have already received some Form 6s.”Denying the allegations of manipulation through digital means, Agarwal maintained, “The CEO’s office does not have such software to add or remove names. If there is an allegation that someone is a fake voter, the officials concerned will verify it as per the prescribed procedure and then submit the report to the Election Commission.”The political spat intensified after Mamata Banerjee wrote to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar alleging that Form 6 applications were filed by individuals with “no legal nexus” with the state. She described the process as “illegal, unconstitutional and fundamentally undemocratic, reflecting malicious intent and bad motives.”Earlier, TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee claimed that around 30,000 Form 6 applications were filed within hours, saying this was in violation of Supreme Court norms.Tensions spilled onto the streets when a group of booth-level officers (BLOs) believed to be aligned with the TMC staged a protest outside the chief executive’s office, alleging electoral fraud. The situation escalated into a clash between police and BJP workers. Authorities said they intervened to prevent further unrest. “As the situation spiraled out of control, we stepped in to maintain law and order,” a senior official said. We used minimal force to disperse the gathering. “The police have also enforced prohibitory measures in the area and Agarwal pointed out, “The Kolkata Police Commissioner has enforced Section 163 here. So if any disturbance occurs in the area, it is the responsibility of the police to handle the situation. They must be allowed to perform their duties. If they do not perform their duties, the commission will take action.”The protests followed a visit by Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari, who had gone to the chief executive’s office to lodge a complaint against Mamata Banerjee, accusing her of inciting riots.Meanwhile, the TMC circulated a video on social media purportedly showing a massive filing of Form 6 applications. In its post, the party claimed, “The design is clear. The attraction comes from bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Changing the demographics of Bangladesh. Changing verdict in Bangladesh. Erasing the voice of Bengal before voting. “Reacting to the claims, Agarwal said the CCTV footage of the office would be reviewed to verify the allegations filed on a large scale.These developments come against the backdrop of the recent administrative reshuffle of the state’s Election Commission, which included changes in the top leadership of the Kolkata Police following the implementation of the Model Code of Conduct.