The Election Commission of India (ECI) has detected rampant irregularities in the registration of new voters, particularly along the sensitive border districts of West Bengal. Two officials have already been identified for illegally adding fictitious voters, bypassing crucial verification protocols a clear breach of the Registration of Electors’ Act, 1960.
In an explosive memo (No. 2617-Home (Elec)) dated July 28, 2025, issued by Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal, Manoj Kumar Agarwal (IAS), all District Election Officers (DEOs) have been urgently directed to undertake a comprehensive review of all Form 6 disposals the applications for inclusion of names in the electoral rolls processed in the last one year.
THIS IS BIG.
Things seem to be moving in #WestBengal at last.
Massive voter fraud detected.
Election Commission orders complete review of all Form 6 disposals done during the last one year and send a report to the Bengal CEO by August 14.
Here’s the context👇🏼 pic.twitter.com/OGgI2YTrtW— Abhijit Majumder (@abhijitmajumder) July 29, 2025
The review was triggered after a sample checking accounting for less than 1 per cent of Form 6 disposals revealed a startling pattern of fraud. Two Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) were found to have approved a significant number of applications without the mandatory Booth Level Officer (BLO) verification. In these suspicious entries, similar documents were uploaded across several applications, indicating a deliberate attempt to mass-register fictitious individuals.
What makes the matter even more alarming is the admission by the two EROs that they had granted unauthorized user access to the ERONet platform to Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs), Officers-in-Charge of Elections in Block Development Offices, and even casual or daily wage Data Entry Operators. These individuals, who are not legally empowered to verify or approve Form 6 submissions, proceeded to dispose of these applications en masse.
Reacting sharply to the revelations, BJP leaders have issued a stern warning, alleging that this is part of a larger conspiracy to manipulate voter lists in favour of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in the run-up to future elections.
“BLOs and officers playing to the tune of TMC should be warned—this is a constitutional betrayal. If this nexus continues, be prepared for severe consequences,” a senior BJP leader told Organiser, calling for criminal prosecution of the officials involved.
The CEO’s directive has laid out strict new instructions, DEOs must immediately form teams of senior officers to carry out sample checking of all Form 6 disposals over the past year. A detailed report must be submitted to the CEO by August 14, 2025.
No casual, contractual, or daily wage operators especially those posted in BDO offices are to be involved in handling Form 6, 7, or 8 applications, or in using ERONet for any purpose. The memo clearly states that these directions are to be treated as “most urgent.”
The incident has raised deep concerns about the sanctity of the voter registration process in West Bengal, especially in the border districts notorious for infiltration and demographic manipulation. If even a fraction of these fictitious additions had gone unchecked, the impact on electoral outcomes in closely contested constituencies could have been dramatic.
Furthermore, this breach of protocol by government functionaries not only violates the Registration of Electors’ Act but could also attract charges under the Indian Penal Code for fraud, conspiracy, and tampering with public records.
While the ECI is tightening its grip and preparing for punitive action, analysts are raising questions about the deeper rot. “This is not just about two EROs going rogue,” said a former Election Commission official. “It appears to be a well-oiled machinery at play right from the BDO offices to the lowest levels of BLOs—facilitating demographic changes through fabricated elector additions.”
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