The Election Commission of India (ECI) in West Bengal has raised concerns about the acceptance of “unlisted” documents as identity proof by Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) during hearings on the draft electoral roll. Micro-observers have noted instances where documents not on the Commission’s approved list were considered valid proof of identity. The Commission expressed surprise at the frequency of such cases despite prior instructions against accepting non-approved documents.
The Commission plans to identify the EROs and AEROs involved and request explanations for deviating from the specified list of acceptable documents. Despite the Commission’s clear directive on the 13 approved supporting identity documents, unauthorized documents were still accepted, leading to the Commission’s dissatisfaction. Hearings on claims and objections to the voters’ list will continue until February 14, with document scrutiny extending until February 21, and the final voters’ list set for publication on February 28.
After the final voters’ list is released, the ECI’s full Bench is expected to visit Kolkata for a two-day review post-special intensive revision (SIR). Subsequently, the Commission is anticipated to announce the polling schedule for the upcoming Assembly elections in West Bengal.
