Kolkata: Chief Secretary Manoj Pant has directed all district magistrates (DM) to remain vigilant and alert in respect of preparation of voter lists.
The directions assume significance after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the state Assembly had alleged that a “ghost political party” is trying to register at least 20,000-30,000 fake voters in every Assembly seat across the state ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls.
“The Chief Secretary directed for adherence to the protocols of the Election Commission in the preparation of voter lists and to adopt zero tolerance against any irregularities in the same,” said a DM.
Pant chaired a virtual meeting with the DMs on Saturday in presence of secretaries of a number of departments. Pant has also clarified that if any administrative official is found involved in any irregularity, he/she would be taken to task as per law. Emphasis was laid on identifying fake voter ID cards. All applications pertaining to inclusion of names are to be verified properly. If it is found that applications from a specific area or place are abnormally more then field verification, if deemed necessary, will be conducted.
TMC on Friday had alleged that the BJP might attempt to replicate the “Delhi model” in Bengal in the upcoming Assembly election, alleging that 4,500 ghost voters have been added to Bengal’s electoral rolls. It alleged that the party at the Centre may now indulge in voter list manipulation tactics in Bengal in similar fashion as they did in Delhi.
Banerjee, who is also TMC chairperson, alleged that voters from Bihar were being registered in Bengal through online registration.
“How did the votes increase by four million in Maharashtra? What did you do in Delhi? One day the truth will come out,” she had said alluding to BJP.