Political Tensions Rise Over Voter List Objections in Kolkata
Political tensions are escalating in Kolkata as the January 15 deadline for submitting Form 7 approaches. Both the Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party are making serious allegations against each other regarding voter list objections.
Trinamool Congress Files Formal Complaint
A Trinamool Congress delegation submitted a formal complaint to the Chief Electoral Officer on Wednesday. The party alleges that BJP members and their booth level agents are submitting Form 7 in bulk quantities. They claim this is an organized effort to delete legitimate voters from electoral rolls across multiple districts in West Bengal.
The Trinamool Congress stated clearly: "We have received credible reports from various districts. BJP members are putting undue pressure on election officers to accept these bulk submissions. These objections appear politically motivated and lack proper foundation. Their clear objective seems to be mass deletion of genuine voters."
BJP Responds With Counter-Allegations
The Bengal BJP responded strongly to these accusations through social media posts and videos. They claim election officers are illegally refusing to accept Form 7 submissions. According to the BJP, this violates Election Commission rules that guarantee this statutory right to citizens.
The BJP emphasized: "Electoral Registration Officers are denying citizens their legal right to submit Form 7. When officials responsible for fair elections break the law themselves, citizens have no choice but to protest. This arbitrary denial undermines the entire electoral process. The Election Commission must intervene immediately. They should direct EROs to follow the law and fix responsibility for these violations. Democracy cannot survive bureaucratic obstruction."
Election Commission Provides Numbers
Election Commission officers have released some important statistics. Till January 13, they received 3,40,000 applications using Form 6 and 6A for including eligible voters. During the same period, they received 38,802 Form 7 submissions for objections. Commission officers confirmed they are investigating all complaints from both political parties.
The situation remains tense as the deadline approaches. Both parties continue to exchange allegations while election officials work to verify the claims. The Election Commission's response to these complaints will be crucial for maintaining electoral integrity in West Bengal.
