Mamata questions ECI: “Was Nandigram BDO made Bhabanipur RO due to Suvendu link?”

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on the Election Commission of India, questioning both the timing of the supplementary voter list publication and recent administrative reshuffles ahead of the Assembly elections. Raising concerns over transparency, she specifically questioned why the list was released close to midnight and alleged that such timing has created confusion among voters about the status of their names.

The Chief Minister also expressed strong objections to the transfer of 73 Returning Officers, singling out the posting of the Nandigram Block Development Officer as the Returning Officer of Bhabanipur. Referring to Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari as “gaddar,” Banerjee questioned whether the appointment was influenced by political proximity, thereby casting doubts on the neutrality of the election process.

Highlighting technical glitches, Banerjee pointed out that the supplementary list, published late at night, faced accessibility issues, with many users unable to download constituency-wise PDFs due to server errors. She further alleged that the delay in publication, despite judicial clearance earlier, raises suspicions about possible deletions in voter lists. Calling the situation a threat to democratic processes, she urged the media and opposition parties to collectively raise their voices to ensure free and fair elections.