Falakata BJP candidate named presiding officer, Deepak Barman questions poll panel decision

A peculiar situation has emerged in Falakata, where BJP candidate Deepak Barman has reportedly been assigned the role of a presiding officer for the upcoming elections. The development has sparked confusion and concern, as candidates are typically exempted from any official election duties to ensure neutrality in the polling process.

Deepak Barman, who also serves as the headmaster of a local high school, stated that he has been repeatedly called for polling officer training sessions and has even received a show-cause notice for not attending them. Despite informing authorities about his candidature and requesting exemption, he claims that no relief has been granted so far. Expressing his frustration, Barman said he is unable to understand why he continues to be assigned election responsibilities while actively contesting the polls. The situation has raised questions about administrative oversight and whether procedural lapses have occurred in the allocation of polling duties.

Sources within the district election setup have indicated that such duties are usually withdrawn once a person is confirmed as a candidate. Officials suggested that the assignment may not have been updated in time, and that the candidate is expected to be relieved from the role soon. The incident has nonetheless added to the ongoing election-related controversies in the region.