The Election Commission of India (ECI) has ordered the immediate suspension of seven assistant electoral registration officers (AEROs) in West Bengal for “serious misconduct, dereliction of duty, and misuse of statutory powers” during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
According to official orders issued on Monday, the suspended officers across Bengal were found to have cleared multiple voter registration cases despite the non-submission of mandatory documents, inconsistencies in mapping, and doubts over voter eligibility. The Commission noted that the officials failed to take corrective action at the scrutiny stage, leading to the approval of ineligible cases.
Invoking its statutory powers under the Representation of the People Act, 1950, the ECI directed the West Bengal government to initiate disciplinary proceedings against the seven officials without delay. The Commission has also asked to be kept informed of the progress of these proceedings.
The suspended officers were serving as AEROs in several assembly constituencies, including Samserganj, Farakka, Maynaguri, Suti, Canning Purbo, and Debra. All were state government employees deputed to the Election Commission to assist in updating voter lists and conducting elections.
In its communication, the ECI instructed Chief Secretary of Bengal Sm. Nandini Chakravarty to ensure swift action by the respective cadre-controlling authorities. The Commission has reportedly given the state administration time till February 17 to comply with its pending directions.
Election officials said the decision was taken after it was observed that the officers had exercised their statutory powers improperly, undermining the integrity of the revision process. The SIR in Bengal is aimed at removing duplicate, ineligible, and outdated entries from electoral rolls and ensuring accurate voter data ahead of future elections.
The suspensions come amid growing tensions between the ECI and the ruling All India Trinamool Congress government in the state over the conduct of the revision exercise. The voter list update has been a politically sensitive issue, with allegations and counter-allegations over its implementation.
Earlier, Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal had reported that nearly 4.98 lakh voters did not appear for SIR hearings, while around 1.63 lakh electors were flagged as “ineligible,” highlighting the scale of discrepancies under review.
The political friction has also spilled into legal and public debates, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee challenging the Election Commission’s actions in the Supreme Court and accusing the poll body of overreach.
Under a 2000 settlement following a Supreme Court order, the Election Commission has the authority to suspend officials deputed for election duties in cases of insubordination or dereliction. Citing this framework, the Commission said the present action as regards Bengal was necessary to uphold transparency and credibility in electoral administration.
With the suspensions and disciplinary proceedings now underway, the ECI has signalled that it will take a firm stand against procedural lapses in the voter revision process throughout Bengal, even as political contestation around the exercise continues to intensify.
