The Election Commission of India expressed dissatisfaction with the delayed response of two District Magistrates, who are also District Electoral Officers in West Bengal. The issue arose from incidents of tension and vandalism at two centers for hearing on claims and objections regarding the draft voters’ list. One such incident occurred in Farakka, Murshidabad district, where Trinamool Congress activists, allegedly led by party legislator Manirul Islam, were involved in vandalism. Despite the Commission’s directive to file an FIR against Islam, there was no reported compliance by Saturday morning.
In another incident at Itahar in North Dinajpur district, the Commission sought a detailed report from the concerned DEO, but as of Saturday morning, there was no adherence to this directive. The Commission emphasized the seriousness of such incidents at hearing centers and instructed DEOs to promptly file FIRs with local police stations. Failure to comply could result in disciplinary actions against the officers.
Meanwhile, the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, criticized the ECI for its handling of hindrances faced during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), particularly regarding hooliganism at hearing centers allegedly by ruling party members. Adhikari questioned the absence of Central Armed Police Forces at these centers, emphasizing the ECI’s authority to deploy such forces without external consultation, even the Army if necessary.
