Electoral Body Calls for West Bengal Top Government official over Allegations of Voting Irregularities
Election Commission Summons West Bengal Chief Secretary Over Non-Compliance
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has summoned West Bengal Chief Secretary Manoj Pant to New Delhi to explain why the state government has failed to comply with the ECI's orders regarding disciplinary and legal action against five state government employees linked to bogus voters in the Moyna and Baruipur Purba Assembly constituencies.
The ECI issued directives on August 5, 2025, asking for the suspension of the Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Additional EROs (AEROs) involved, as well as the filing of FIRs for criminal activities related to voter list irregularities. However, the West Bengal government did not suspend the designated officials but instead reassigned two of them away from election duties and initiated an internal inquiry.
The ECI has expressed concern over the addition of bogus voters' names in the electoral rolls in Moyna and Baruipur Purba. The five state government employees in question, including Debottam Dutta Choudhury, Tathagata Mondal, Biplab Sarkar, Sudipta Das, and Surojit Haldar, are under investigation for their involvement in this alleged fraudulent registration of around 127 voters using forged documents.
Tathagata Mondal is the assistant programme officer, MGNREGS at Joynagar-1 Block and is posted as the assistant electoral registration officer (AERO) of Baruipur Purba. Biplab Sarkar is the district officer minority affairs in East Midnapore and is posted as the ERO of Moyna.
The EC has also directed the initiation of disciplinary proceedings and the lodging of an FIR against the mentioned personnel. The two officers, Sudipta Das and Surojit Haldar, were removed from their poll-related postings due to their involvement in the addition of bogus voters' names. No further actions have been taken against the other three state government employees involved.
The addition of bogus voters' names in the electoral rolls in Moyna and Baruipur Purba has raised concerns about the integrity of the electoral process in these constituencies. The EC has also directed the suspension of Debottam Dutta Choudhury, Tathagata Mondal, Biplab Sarkar, and three more personnel from their poll-related posts.
Manoj Pant is expected to fly to New Delhi in the morning in response to the EC's summons. The summon is related to the non-compliance of the ECI's order to take strong actions against the five state government employees. The ECI will be looking for an explanation from the West Bengal government regarding its stand on the matter.
[1] The Indian Express [2] The Telegraph [3] The Times of India [4] The Hindu [5] NDTV
- The non-compliance with the ECI's orders regarding the five state government employees linked to voter list irregularities in the Moyna and Baruipur Purba Assembly constituencies has become a topic of general-news discourse and political discussion, with numerous news outlets such as The Indian Express, The Telegraph, The Times of India, The Hindu, and NDTV covering the story.
- The ECI's summon of West Bengal Chief Secretary Manoj Pant over the West Bengal government's failure to comply with ECI orders highlights the importance of crime-and-justice issues in the ongoing election process, as investigations continue into the addition of bogus voters' names and the subsequent punishment for those involved.
