The Election Commission of India (ECI) has given West Bengal Chief Secretary Manoj Pant a seven-day deadline to implement its earlier recommendation to suspend four state government officers and initiate criminal proceedings against a data entry operator accused of irregularities in the electoral roll process.
Pant met Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar at the Election House on Ashok Road, New Delhi, on Wednesday afternoon after being summoned a day earlier. He has also been asked to submit a compliance report to the ECI after carrying out its directives.
According to ECI sources, the officers in question are ERO Debottam Dutta Chowdhury and AERO Tathagata Mandal of Baruipur East Assembly constituency in South 24 Parganas and ERO Biplob Sarkar and AERO Sudipta Das of Maina constituency in East Midnapore. The Commission has also recommended filing an FIR against Surjit Halder, a casual data entry operator involved in processing Form-6 applications, for alleged irregularities in voter enrolment.
Pant, known for his calm and composed approach, reached the ECI headquarters around 4:45 pm and held a meeting lasting nearly an hour and a half. Emerging from the session, he declined to speak to the media.
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Sources said the CEC pressed Pant on why the suspension orders had not been implemented. In response, Pant reportedly explained that the state government is already investigating the allegations and that two of the officers have been removed from election-related duties.
However, the CEC reportedly expressed dissatisfaction, asserting that the Commission’s order was straightforward and carried clear authority. “You were given a general order. Where is the difficulty in following that? You know the authority of the Commission,” the he is learnt to have told the Chief Secretary.
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Pant is said to have replied that while he understands the ECI’s rules from his years of election duty, the matter involves administrative procedures and ultimately depends on the decision of the state government headed by Mamata Banerjee, who has publicly opposed suspending the officers.
Despite noting upcoming holidays, Pant was given a final deadline of seven days to comply. He is expected to brief the Chief Minister upon returning to Kolkata before a decision is taken. With the ball now in Navanna’s court, political observers say the standoff could escalate if the state chooses to challenge the ECI’s order in court.
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