ECI Suspends Seven WB Officials, Asks Chief Secretary To Act
Election Commission orders suspension of seven West Bengal officials and seeks disciplinary proceedings.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has suspended seven government officials in West Bengal and directed the state’s Chief Secretary, Nandini Chakravarty, to initiate disciplinary action against them for alleged misconduct related to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls ahead of upcoming elections.
The officials, all serving as Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) on deputation from the West Bengal government, were placed under immediate suspension after the ECI found evidence of serious misconduct, dereliction of duty and misuse of statutory powers during the SIR process — a roll update procedure aimed at improving the accuracy of voter lists.
According to official directives, Chakravarty has been instructed to ensure that disciplinary proceedings against these suspended officers are launched “without any delay” by the respective cadre-controlling authorities and that the Election Commission is kept informed of all actions taken. Those affected come from multiple constituencies, including Murshidabad, South 24 Parganas, Jalpaiguri, Paschim Medinipur and other districts, reflecting the ECI’s focus on uniform enforcement across the state.
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The move marks a significant escalation in the contentious administrative standoff between the Election Commission and the ruling All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) government in West Bengal over how the SIR exercise has been conducted. The ECI has consistently emphasised strict adherence to electoral law and procedural fairness, warning that any lapses would result in decisive action.
In parallel with the suspensions, the ECI has reminded state officials of its earlier directives to dispose of all Form-7 objections — submissions from voters challenging their status on electoral rolls — by the stipulated deadline and in strict accordance with legal requirements. This was conveyed in correspondence linked to a Supreme Court order dated February 9, underscoring the Commission’s insistence on legal compliance.
West Bengal’s SIR process, initiated in late 2025, has been subject to scrutiny and legal debate, with the final revised voter list now scheduled for publication at the end of February 2026. The Commission’s action against these seven officers is likely to have immediate political and administrative repercussions as the state heads toward one of the nation’s most closely watched electoral contests.
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