Those suspended include assistant electoral registration officers and field officials posted in constituencies across Murshidabad, Farakka, Maynaguri, Suti, Canning Purba and Debra. The Commission said preliminary findings indicated dereliction of duty and procedural violations in the revision process. Officials have not publicly commented on the allegations.
The action comes amid heightened scrutiny of voter list accuracy ahead of upcoming polls. Electoral roll revisions are conducted periodically to update entries, remove duplicates, and add eligible voters. Authorities say any error, delay, or manipulation can affect electoral integrity and public trust.
In a parallel development, the Supreme Court of India has extended by one week the deadline for publication of West Bengal’s final electoral rolls under the SIR exercise. A bench led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and NV Anjaria, granted the extension while hearing petitions related to the revision process. The court made clear that it would not tolerate obstruction in electoral roll preparation and emphasized that the principle applies nationwide.
The revised deadline shifts publication of the final voter list from February 14 to February 21. Legal observers say the extension provides administrators limited additional time to address discrepancies while ensuring compliance with statutory procedures.
Election officials maintain that disciplinary action against erring personnel is intended to reinforce accountability rather than disrupt the revision exercise. Administrative sources said monitoring mechanisms have been tightened and additional supervisory checks introduced in sensitive constituencies.
Analysts note that the Commission’s intervention signals a zero-tolerance approach toward procedural lapses in election management. With voter data forming the backbone of the democratic process, even localized irregularities can trigger legal challenges and political disputes.
The Commission has indicated that further action could follow if additional irregularities are detected during review. For now, authorities say the priority is completing the revision exercise accurately and on schedule to ensure eligible voters are properly enrolled before polling dates are announced.
