Why idea of free-fair polls in Bengal is ghorar dim

India Today

6 days ago

"Ghhorar dim", as the Bangla phrase, which means "a horse's egg" goes, captures the absurdity of the idea of free and fair elections in West Bengal. Not just reported large-scale immigration and the shadow of political violence, an election machinery, which is allegedly far from independent, makes the idea of a fair franchise a pipe dream. As ghorar dim, the idea of fair elections here remains a fantasy.advertisementIn an administrative meeting last week, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee reminded block-level officers (BLOs) that they were state government employees. This is important because the BLOs are key to the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls that is expected to begin in Bengal soon.Also, West Bengal is the only state where the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) office operates under the state's Home and Hill Affairs Department, without functional freedom.
The state has seen an influx of illegal immigration from Bangladesh, leading to demographic changes in several districts. Retributive political violence, as seen after the last Assembly elections, also cast a cloud over the idea of participatory democracy.ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION AND SIR IN WEST BENGALEven as the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise is underway in Bihar and speculated to begin in poll-bound Bengal next, Mamata Banerjee has openly opposed it, calling it a targeted move against Bengali voters. The Trinamool Congress leader, who has launched a Bhasha Aandolon from Rabindranath Tagore's Sanctuary Bolpur, has asserted that "people from Gujarat were preparing Bengal's [voters'] list".This even as the West Bengal CEO flagged major irregularities during sample checking of voter lists in South and North 24 Parganas, where 127 fictitious voters were allegedly entered by two Electoral Registration Officers (ERO) without BLO verification, reported The Economic Times newspaper on Wednesday.The SIR is a legal and essential exercise mandated under the Representation of the People Act, 1950, to ensure the accuracy and integrity of electoral rolls ahead of major elections.The tenure of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly ends in May 2026, with elections expected to be held earlier next year.MAMATA'S REMINDER TO BLOs ON DUTY STIRS DEBATEA recent reminder by Mamata Banerjee to the BLOs that they are state government employees before and after elections does not offer much hope on fair-play.At an administrative meeting on July 28, Mamata reminded the BLOs, who are officials of the state government, that they work for the Government of West Bengal, not the Election Commission of India (ECI), reported The Hindu.She directed them to ensure that not a single name is removed from the voter's rolls, adding not to "harass" voters by removing names from electoral lists."After the election is announced, it comes under [ECI's] purview. Before that, it is the state government, and again after the elections, it is the state government," she said.advertisementDuring elections, the Election Commission of India relies on government officials, including teachers, state employees and staff from some PSUs like nationalised banks, for conducting polls. The BLOs, who are state government employees, are mandated to assist in updating and verifying voter rolls.Critics, including BJP's Suvendu Adhikari, have argued that Mamata's "intimidatory statement" pressures BLOs to prioritise state loyalty over Election Commission of India (ECI) directives, potentially undermining impartial voter list updates.In a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, Adhikari termed the Mamata's appeal as "direct and unwarranted interference", calling it an "attempt to influence the revision of electoral rolls for political motives", reported news agency PTI.WEST BENGAL CEO'S OFFICE UNDER STATE CONTROLMoreover, West Bengal is the only state where the CEO office operates under the Home and Hill Affairs department of the state government, the ECI recently flagged.The CEO's office also lacks financial and administrative independence.Last week, the ECI directed West Bengal to establish a separate election department to ensure institutional autonomy ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls."The Commission has noted the lack of financial and administrative autonomy available to the CEO, West Bengal, in the existing arrangement, wherein the CEO's office functions with limited financial powers relying on a minor permanent advance from the Finance Department. Further, the CEO's office has been categorised as a subordinate branch of the Home and Hill Affairs Department, which is led by a principal secretary-level officer, whereas the CEO himself is of ACS rank," the Election Commission wrote to the West Bengal Chief Secretary, in a letter dated July 17, reported The Indian Express.advertisementThe Commission also directed the Chief Secretary to declare the CEO's office as an independent one soon.The structural and organisational issue, as also flagged by the BJP, raises concerns about the ability to conduct unbiased elections, as the CEO's office remains financially and administratively tethered to the state, potentially compromising its neutrality.The Home, Hill Affairs, and Revenue departments are under CM Mamata Banerjee.BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya claimed that while the ECI aims to make the CEO's office more independent, the state government is resisting the move, "making it clear", he said, "who is trying to control the process", reported the newspaper.The ECI's push for a SIR of electoral rolls, which is speculated to be exercised next in West Bengal, has met resistance from Mamata.advertisementDEMOGRAPHIC SHIFTS IN BENGAL RAISE RED FLAGSRecent analyses highlight significant demographic changes in West Bengal, particularly in border districts, where the Muslim population has risen disproportionately over the last few decades. Many of the illegal migrants have been found to possess legal documents like the Aadhaar Card and Voter ID cards.This has put a question mark about the integrity of elections in the states where non-citizens are voting.Districts like Murshidabad and Malda have seen a notable rise in Muslim populations, with Murshidabad's Muslim share increasing from 63.7% in 2001 to 66.3% in 2011, and Malda from 49.7% to 51.3%.Many fear that the latest data, when released, will reveal even starker numbers.These shifts, coupled with reports of illegal migration from Bangladesh, have fuelled concerns about voter list manipulation.BJP leaders, including the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, have claimed that such changes enable the inclusion of "illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya voters" in electoral rolls, a charge Mamata Banerjee has dismissed as politically motivated.Last week, Adhikari claimed that a sharp rise of over 70,000 Form-6 applications, along with domicile certificates issued after July 25, aimed at "enroling illegal Rohingya and Bangladeshi immigrants" signals voter roll manipulation.advertisement"Over 70,000 Form-6 applications have been submitted on average in the last week, a sharp rise from the usual 20,000-25,000, especially in Coochbehar, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri, Maldah, North Dinajpur, Murshidabad, Nadia, and North & South 24 Parganas districts," he wrote on X.In conclusion, the idea of free and fair elections in West Bengal remains elusive due to demographic changes, the state government's influence over electoral officers, and structural issues with the state poll body. Now, with the 2026 Vidhan Sabha polls approaching, these factors cast a shadow over the state's electoral integrity, making "ghhorar dim" an apt metaphor for an unattainable ideal.- EndsTune InMust Watch