Voter list controversy in Bengal: Mamata Banerjee writes to CEC over suspicious Form 6 entries

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote to the Election Commission on Tuesday, accusing the BJP of attempting to illegally include voters from outside the State in bulk by means of Form 6 electoral roll applications.

West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal promised to review the CCTV footage of his office. The Election Commission accepts applications on Form 6 for registering new voters. It is a mandatory procedure which requires the furnishing of documents to prove the applicant’s date of birth and residence address, besides other necessary identity papers. In a strongly worded letter to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, Banerjee termed the move “another coordinated attempt by the BJP, in conjunction with the Nirvachan Sadan, to interfere with the democratic rights of the people” after the “flawed and seemingly targeted SIR caused severe hardship to millions, pushing many to the brink of disenfranchisement”.

The Trinamool Congress chief shot the letter in less than 24 hours after the party’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Monday alleged that nearly 30,000 Form 6s were submitted by the BJP in a day to make residents of other states voters of West Bengal.

Mamata Banerjee’s letter claimed receipt of “credible reports” that a large number of Form 6 applications were being “submitted by BJP agents at the office of the chief electoral officer (CEO) and across several districts”.

Stating that these do not seem to be routine applications for voter inclusion but “a mischievous ploy to include non-residents in the electoral roll”, the chief minister requested the CEC not to entertain any such applications for inclusion after the publication of the final electoral roll on February 28.

“There are serious concerns that these applications may pertain to individuals who are not genuine residents of Bengal and who have no legitimate connection to the state. Similar patterns were reportedly observed before elections in Bihar, Haryana, Maharashtra and Delhi,” the TMC chief wrote to Kumar.

In view of the Model Code of Conduct in effect following the declaration of the assembly polls on March 15, Banerjee addressed the communication to Kumar on the TMC chairperson letterhead and not that of the chief minister.

The leader stated that she had “reasonable apprehensions” that the 30,000-odd applications would be “allowed by the Election Commission without giving appropriate notice to the concerned booths (sic) and to all the political parties”.

Addressing the allegations, Agarwal said the poll panel was taking the complaints seriously and would investigate the matter. “I will see where the agency has installed CCTV... I will check what is in the footage and then consider the matter further,” said.

The CEO clarified that individuals already on the adjudication list cannot apply through Form 6, which is meant solely for the inclusion of new names. All requests and complaints have been forwarded to Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) for verification, he said. Agarwal also warned that those applying for inclusion of their names in the voters’ list under false pretences would face legal consequences.