A block disaster management officer in West Bengal's Howrah district has dramatically resigned from a key election-related post, levelling serious allegations of systematic exclusion. Mousam Sarkar stepped down from the position of assistant electoral registration officer (AERO) for the Bagnan assembly constituency, claiming that technical flaws in the electoral roll are a deliberate 'ploy' to prevent a large number of marginalised citizens from voting in the upcoming elections.
The Resignation and the Core Allegation
Mousam Sarkar submitted his resignation letter directly to the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO). In his letter, he stated that "logical discrepancies" in the AERO login portal had created an impossible working environment. He explained that these issues stemmed from errors that occurred during the conversion of the 2002 electoral roll PDF into the current system.
The crux of the problem, according to Sarkar, is that the spelling of names from the 2002 roll was treated as final and unchangeable. "The spelling of names in 2002 was taken as sacrosanct," he wrote. However, in reality, many of those names had been legally corrected over the years through official Form 8 applications, as per Election Commission rules. Similar corrections for age and gender were also being ignored by the system.
A 'Ploy' to Disenfranchise?
Sarkar did not mince words in his assessment of the situation's impact. He argued that these persistent technical glitches serve no logical purpose and instead have a sinister outcome. "I think this kind of logical discrepancies does not make any sense and this a ploy to disenfranchise marginal people," he asserted in his resignation letter.
His strong statement suggests a belief that the errors are not mere administrative oversights but a calculated move that disproportionately affects vulnerable and marginalised sections of the electorate. By failing to incorporate legally submitted corrections, the system potentially bars eligible voters whose details have been updated over the last two decades.
Implications for the Bagnan Constituency
This resignation throws a spotlight on the integrity of the electoral preparation process in the Bagnan assembly seat. The role of an AERO is critical in ensuring a clean and accurate voter list, which is the foundation of a free and fair election. Sarkar's departure and his allegations raise urgent questions about how widespread these 'logical discrepancies' are and how many voters might be incorrectly listed or omitted.
The incident is likely to intensify scrutiny on the election machinery in Howrah ahead of the polls. It calls for immediate technical review and rectification of the BLO app and the voter roll data to ensure every eligible citizen, especially from marginalised communities, can exercise their franchise without obstruction.
As of now, there has been no official response from the Election Commission or higher authorities to Sarkar's specific charges. The coming days will reveal whether this resignation triggers an investigation into the voter roll preparation process in the constituency.
