TMC’s Abhishek Banerjee accused an election observer of overstepping authority during voter roll checks, citing a Supreme Court directive. BJP and EC responses awaited.

A fresh political confrontation has emerged over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) accusing an election observer of exceeding his mandate.

TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee shared screenshots on social media alleging that observer C. Murugan instructed micro-observers through WhatsApp to reject birth certificates issued by gram panchayats during voter verification. Banerjee argued that such directions violate a February 9 order of the Supreme Court of India, which, according to the party, limits observers to assisting officials rather than making determinations.

A delegation from the party has sought an inquiry into the matter, calling for restrictions on informal communication channels in election-related work and demanding scrutiny of what it described as suspicious login activity during the roll revision exercise. The Special Intensive Revision process has reportedly led to the preliminary deletion of around 5.8 million names ahead of the upcoming state polls.

The BJP dismissed the allegations, asserting that the verification drive has exposed bogus entries that were previously shielded by the ruling party. The Election Commission of India has not publicly addressed the specific claims. However, it recently suspended seven officials over separate allegations of misconduct during the revision process.

The dispute underscores the high stakes attached to voter roll accuracy in a politically charged environment. While electoral cleansing exercises aim to ensure integrity, transparency in procedure and communication remains crucial to sustaining public confidence. As campaign season approaches, legal clarity and institutional neutrality will likely be closely scrutinised by all sides.