West Bengal: Poll panel rubbishes Mamata’s allegations of ‘electoral rolls manipulation’

West Bengal’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has rejected Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s charges of electoral manipulation, saying that the voter roll update process follows established legal protocols. The poll panel’s response came after Banerjee accused the BJP of adding fake voters to influence the Assembly elections in the state, which are due next year.

The West Bengal CEO issued a statement on social media, outlining the procedures governing electoral roll updates. “As per RP Act 1950, Registration of Electors Rules 1960 and Manual on Electoral Rolls, concerned BLOs, AEROs, EROs, DEOs, and CEOs in any State/UT work for the updation of Electoral Rolls,” the post read.

Also read: Voters' list tactics: Can Mamata expose BJP?

Poll panel’s response

“This is done with active participation of Booth Level Agents appointed by political parties. Any specific claim or objections are to be made first before the concerned 80,633 BLOs, 3,049 AEROs and 294 EROs in West Bengal.”

“Political parties are involved in every step of making the voter list. If there is any objection from any political parties on any step, it is heard immediately. Every objection to adding or deleting names is investigated by the electoral roll officer,” election commission sources said.

The poll panel reacted to the TMC’s charges following Banerjee’s announcement of a committee to scrutinise alleged irregularities in voter lists across West Bengal.

Mamata slams BJP

The chief minister had on Thursday accused the BJP of manipulating voter lists, drawing parallels with alleged electoral malpractices in Maharashtra and Delhi. She claimed that the BJP had employed similar tactics in other states and was now attempting to do the same in West Bengal.

Addressing TMC's state conference at Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata, Banerjee alleged that the BJP, with the “support of the Election Commission”, was tampering with the electoral rolls by adding fake voters from other states. She warned that if corrective action was not taken, her party would stage an indefinite dharna in front of the EC office.

Banerjee held up a list during her speech, claiming it contained names of “fake voters.” She alleged, “I have proof from all districts. Here it is. Names of people from Haryana and Gujarat appear alongside those of West Bengal residents under the same EPIC (Election Photo Identity Card) number. Fake voters have been added online.”

She urged the people of West Bengal to verify their names on the voter list, warning that legitimate voters could be removed under the pretext of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

To counter the alleged voter list manipulation, Banerjee announced the formation of an IT Media cell, panchayat councillors, and a core committee to monitor the electoral rolls.

Also read: ‘Everyone should be together, but…’: Mamata to go it alone in ’26 Bengal polls

TMC’s verification drive

Meanwhile, TMC leaders on Saturday began a door-to-door campaign to scrutinise the electoral rolls amid allegations of voter list manipulation by the BJP.

Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim personally carried out the voter list verification drive in the Chetla area of south Kolkata. “The BJP is trying to manipulate the electoral rolls by bringing in fake voters from other states. So, along with our party workers, we are on a door-to-door visit to verify the voter list,” Hakim told reporters.

Local TMC leaders were also busy in a similar exercise in the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.