West Bengal Elections: EC Suspends 7 Officials Over Voter Registration Irregularities

Election Commission Suspends Seven West Bengal Officials Amid Voter List Revision Concerns

NEW DELHI – The Election Commission of India (ECI) has suspended seven West Bengal government officials holding the position of assistant electoral registration officers (AEROs), citing “serious misconduct, dereliction of duty and misuse of statutory powers” related to the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of the state’s voter rolls. The commission has also directed the West Bengal chief secretary to initiate disciplinary proceedings against all seven officers, according to a statement released Monday, February 16, 2026.

The suspended officials were assigned to constituencies including Samserganj, Farakka, Maynaguri, Suti, Canning Purbo, and Debra. According to sources within the ECI, the officers allegedly cleared multiple cases for final publication despite lacking required documentation, inconsistencies in mapping and elector eligibility, and a failure to take corrective action – effectively approving ineligible voters and misusing their authority.

“Using its powers under Section 13CC of the RP Act 1950, the Election Commission of India has placed under suspension 7 officials in West Bengal with immediate effect for serious misconduct, dereliction of duty and misuse of statutory powers in connection with SIR,” the ECI stated in its order.

The Commission instructed the cadre controlling authorities to begin disciplinary proceedings “without any delay” and to keep the ECI informed of their progress.

Those suspended include Sefaur Rahaman, AERO of Samserganj AC in Murshidabad district, who also serves as an assistant director in the agriculture department. Nitish Das, revenue officer and AERO for Farakka AC; Dalia Ray Choudhury, women development officer and AERO of Maynaguri AC; and Murshid Alam, ADA, Suti block & AERO for Suti AC. Two AEROs were suspended in Canning Purbo AC: Satyajit Das, joint block development officer (BDO), and Joydeep Kundu, FEO. The seventh official sanctioned by the ECI is Debashis Biswas, joint BDO and AERO of Debra AC.

The action by the ECI comes amidst ongoing tensions with the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal over the voter list revision process. The Commission has been scrutinizing the process for irregularities, and these suspensions represent a significant escalation in that oversight.

Earlier this year, on January 3, 2026, the Election Commission directed West Bengal election authorities to file First Information Reports (FIRs) against five previously suspended officials accused of illegally adding fake or non-existent names to the electoral rolls. Those officials included Debottam Dutta Chowdhury, Electoral Registration Officer of the Baruipur East Assembly constituency; Tathagata Mandal, Assistant Electoral Registration Officer; Biplab Sarkar, Electoral Registration Officer of the Moyna Assembly constituency; Sudipta Das, Assistant Electoral Registration Officer; and Surajit Halder, a data entry operator. The Commission took *suo moto* action after the state government failed to file the FIRs despite earlier directives.

The Reporters’ Collective reported that the ECI rolled out algorithms midway through the SIR process without providing protocols, manuals, or written instructions, raising further questions about the transparency and integrity of the revision process.

The ECI’s actions underscore its commitment to ensuring a fair and accurate electoral process in West Bengal, a state with a history of politically charged elections. The suspensions and directives for FIRs signal a firm stance against any attempts to manipulate the voter rolls and compromise the integrity of the upcoming elections.