KOLKATA: Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Tuesday warned against electoral malpractice after reviewing poll preparedness in West Bengal ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
Addressing a press conference after the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) three-day visit, Kumar stressed zero tolerance for violence, voter intimidation and official negligence, assuring voters of free and fair polls. To strengthen transparency, he announced that all of West Bengal’s nearly 80,000 polling stations would, for the first time, be covered by 100 per cent webcasting.
Kumar reiterated the Commission’s commitment to maintaining the “purity” of the electoral roll but did not specify a deadline for clearing nearly 60 lakh names flagged during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list.
The ECI team, comprising Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, met political parties, District Magistrates, Superintendents of Police, Chief Electoral Officers and Central Armed Police Force nodal officers. Discussions focused on logistics, security deployment and coordination between the State administration and enforcement agencies.
Addressing concerns over voter deletions, duplications and adjudication cases following the SIR, Kumar said an unprecedented judicial oversight mechanism was in place. “With regard to names and duplications, the process is progressing as per the directions of the Supreme Court and under the Chief Justice of West Bengal. Judicial officers have already been appointed and are taking decisions on the eligibility of electors in line with Article 326,” he said.
He added that during the SIR process lakhs of entries were flagged as potentially dead, shifted or duplicate. “On examination of the draft list, a large number of cases were found pending for a decision, and based on the orders of the Supreme Court these have been referred to judicial officers for adjudication,” he said, without giving a timeline for completion.
Kumar also avoided specifying the number of polling phases. “Maharashtra elections were conducted in one phase. In West Bengal, the number of phases will depend on the law and order preparedness of the State Machinery. The Commission will take a decision after returning to Delhi,” he said.
He underlined the ECI’s resolve to hold officials accountable, saying strict action would be taken against any officer found negligent, regardless of rank. Punitive measures, he said, could include departmental proceedings in addition to transfers.
Kumar also stressed the need for impartial enforcement of the law, instructing agencies to work with “absolute impartiality”. According to sources, he remarked during internal meetings that “everything has a digital footprint”, warning that District Magistrates, Superintendents of Police and Police Commissioners would be held accountable for lapses.
The briefing comes amid controversy over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls published on February 28, which lists about 7.04 crore voters. Allegations of arbitrary deletions — around 6.3 lakh names — have triggered protests, including a five-day sit-in by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who accused the CEC of threatening State officials. Responding to the issue, Kumar said supplementary lists would be published in line with Supreme Court directives and approved claims would be uploaded online.
Political parties have urged the ECI to conduct the elections in one or two phases and take action against anti-social elements, though the Commission has yet to announce the poll schedule.
The review also covered deployment of Central forces and the role of booth-level officers, amid reports that seven officials were earlier suspended for misconduct during the SIR process.
Kumar said the entire election process would be conducted under strict digital surveillance and judicial oversight to deter malpractice and ensure credible polls across West Bengal’s 294 Assembly constituencies.
Later in the evening, sources in the State Electoral Officer’s office said the ECI had sought reports on action taken against police station officers in areas that witnessed poll-related violence during the 2021 Assembly elections.
