Kamal Ghorui
Amid a heated political row in West Bengal over alleged voter list manipulation allegation levied by Trinamool Congress (TMC) ahead of the Assembly elections, chief electoral officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal on Tuesday dismissed claims that his office has any mechanism to arbitrarily alter electoral rolls.The controversy centres on Form 6, the application used by first-time voters to enrol or by existing voters to shift constituencies. The ruling TMC has accused the BJP of attempting to flood the system with applications to add “outsiders” to the state’s voter base.Responding to these allegations, Agarwal emphasised the procedural nature of the system, quoted by PTI saying, “I want to say that this is a government office, there is a receiving section, and anyone can submit as many documents as he or she wants.” He added, “There could be one lakh documents or one document submitted in a day by one person. I do not have information as the head of the office about this. There is a rule.”Clarifying further, he noted that submissions are handled at multiple levels and not directly monitored by him unless escalated: “I do not require to know who is submitting what. The documents are segregated, and then, if required, those are sent to me. I have come to know that some Form 6s have been received by us.”Rejecting allegations of manipulation through digital means, Agarwal asserted, “There is no such software in the CEO’s office through which names can be added or deleted. If allegations arise against someone of being a fake voter, officials concerned carry out verification under the prescribed procedure, and the report is then submitted to the Election Commission.”The political row intensified after Mamata Banerjee wrote to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging that Form 6 applications were being filed by individuals with “no legitimate connection” to the state. She described the process as “illegal, unconstitutional and fundamentally undemocratic, reflecting mala fide intent and ill motive”.Earlier, TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee claimed that around 30,000 Form 6 applications had been submitted within hours, calling it a violation of Supreme Court norms.Tensions spilled onto the streets when a group of booth-level officers (BLOs), believed to be aligned with the TMC, staged a protest outside the CEO’s office, alleging electoral malpractice. The situation escalated into clashes involving police and BJP workers. Authorities said they intervened to prevent further unrest. A senior officer stated, “We stepped in to maintain law and order as the situation was getting out of hand. Minimal force was used to disperse the gathering.”Police also enforced prohibitory measures in the area, with Agarwal noting, “Section 163 has been enforced here by the Kolkata Police Commissioner. Therefore, if any disturbance occurs in this area, it is the responsibility of the police to handle the situation. They must be allowed to perform their duty. If they fail, the Commission will take action.”The protests followed a visit by Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, who had approached the CEO’s office to file a complaint against Mamata Banerjee, accusing her of fuelling unrest.Meanwhile, the TMC circulated a video on social media allegedly showing bulk submission of Form 6 applications. In its post, the party claimed, “The design is clear. Bring in voters from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Change Bengal’s demography. Change Bengal’s verdict. Erase Bengal’s voice before a single vote is cast.”In response to these claims, Agarwal said CCTV footage from the office would be reviewed to verify the allegations of mass submissions.The developments come against the backdrop of recent administrative reshuffles by the Election Commission in the state, including a change in Kolkata’s top police leadership following the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct.
