West Bengal’s political landscape heated up as Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari lauded the Election Commission’s bold move to suspend seven AEROs during the SIR drive. In an impromptu media briefing at Kolkata airport on Monday, the BJP stalwart slammed the TMC regime, alleging systemic fraud masterminded by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
For the first time, the EC bypassed routine instructions to the Chief Secretary and wielded its suspension powers directly. Adhikari detailed the lapses: officers rubber-stamped fake school certificates and PAN cards, ignoring 13 explicit EC directives. ‘This was no accident; it was pressure from Nandini Chakravarty, who operates Banerjee’s voter manipulation network,’ he charged.
He lambasted the government’s inaction on Form 7 discrepancies, revealing a unique Bengal practice where EC files land on the CM’s table for ‘approval’ – a interference level unseen elsewhere, not even from the PM during Lok Sabha polls. Adhikari termed the EC’s intervention a ‘welcome correction,’ urging sustained vigilance.
As SIR progresses, this episode exposes deep cracks in Bengal’s electoral machinery. Opposition voices like Adhikari’s gain traction, demanding accountability amid accusations of ‘vote bank engineering.’ The suspensions could ripple through administrative ranks, forcing a recalibration of state-central poll dynamics ahead of crucial electoral battles.
Stakeholders watch closely, hoping this asserts EC’s supremacy over local pressures, ensuring fair voter rolls for democracy’s sake.