Bengal seeks a week from ECI on suspension of poll officials

West Bengal chief secretary Manoj Pant has requested seven days time from the Election Commission of India (ECI) to decide on suspending four state officials and a data entry operator accused of irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls.

Mr Pant met ECI officials at Nirvachan Sadan in New Delhi today evening, arriving ahead of the scheduled 5 p.m. appearance and spent about an hour in discussions.

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Sources said the Commission granted his request for more time, although neither the ECI nor the state government has issued an official statement.

Nabanna sources indicated Mr Pant has sought time until 21 August to finalise the state’s decision, after consulting chief minister Mamata Banerjee and senior administrative and electoral officials.

The controversy centres on alleged lapses in the voter lists of Baruipur East in South 24-Parganas and Moyna in East Midnapore.

On 8 August, the ECI reiterated its order to suspend two Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), two Assistant EROs, and a data entry operator—ERO Debottam Dutta Chowdhury, AERO Tathagata Mandal (Baruipur East), ERO Biplab Sarkar, AERO Sudipta Das (Moyna), and data entry operator Surajit Halder—and to file FIRs against them for sharing login credentials and violating data security protocols.

If found guilty, the officials could face three months to two years in prison along with fines, and departmental inquiries have been recommended.

However, Pant is supposed to have told the Commission that immediate suspensions and FIRs would be “disproportionately harsh” and risk “demoralising” state officials, who often delegate responsibilities in good faith while handling multiple time-bound assignments.

As an interim measure, the state has relieved Sudipta Das and Surajit Halder from election duties, while the other three remain in their posts pending an internal inquiry. The state has assured the ECI that a further report will follow once the investigation concludes.

Immediately after the state government announced its decision, the Election Commission summoned Mr Pant to Delhi to clarify the state’s stance.

The ECI is expected to review Pant’s explanation before deciding on its next steps, adding another flashpoint to the ongoing tussle between the Mamata Banerjee-led government and the poll panel