‘Fake Voters’ in Bengal? How Form 6 Sparked a TMC vs BJP Clash Over Electoral Roll Integrity

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has alleged large-scale irregularities in voter enrolment in West Bengal, placing Form 6, the application used to add new voters, at the centre of a fresh political dispute ahead of elections.In a video shared on X, Member of Parliament and party National General Secretary, Abhishek Banerjee presented documents which, he claimed, showed duplication in applications.At a separate press briefing, Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghose said the issue pointed to a broader pattern, "We are not talking about isolated discrepancies. We are talking about a pattern that raises serious questions about the integrity of the voter list."The party has indicated that complaints have been submitted to election authorities, though a consolidated dataset has not been made public.Are Indian Muslims' Voting Rights Under Attack? 3 Aspects to ThisThe immediate trigger appears to be a spike in Form 6 applications during the ongoing revision of electoral rolls in the state. TMC has alleged that:Applications are being filed in bulk from the same addressesThere are instances of repeated use of documentsGround-level verification may not be keeping pace with volumeIn a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP of attempting to illegally include voters from outside to the state's electoral rolls.She wrote: "BJP agents have been caught red-handed flooding the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal with thousands of fraudulent Form 6 applications to smuggle non-residents and outsiders into Bengal’s electoral rolls. This is an attempt at voter hijacking, the same dirty game BJP successfully played in Maharashtra and Delhi."The BJP has rejected TMC’s allegations, arguing that the ruling party is attempting to pre-emptively delegitimise voter lists.Party leaders have said that:Form 6 applications reflect new voters, migrants, and previously excluded citizensRaising doubts now is an attempt to question unfavourable outcomes in advanceThe BJP has also accused the TMC of historically influencing local verification processes.Election authorities have maintained that no voter is added without verification.According to officials:Every Form 6 application is checked by a Booth Level Officer (BLO)Draft rolls are published for public scrutinyObjections can be filed before finalisationThe office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has reiterated that the system includes multiple layers of safeguards, and that inclusion is not automatic.Scores of Muslims Were Almost Erased from Alwar Rolls. Why Is EC Avoiding Probe?The Supreme Court of India is currently monitoring aspects of electoral roll revision in West Bengal under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.The Court has taken note of the scale of the process, over 47 lakh claims and objections, and directed that it be completed within a 7 April deadline.This matters because the current controversy over Form 6 is unfolding within a court-monitored revision exercise, where both additions (Form 6) and objections and deletions are being processed simultaneously.The Court has consistently held that the "purity" of electoral rolls is essential to free and fair elections, placing the onus on the Election Commission to ensure both inclusion and accuracy.Disputes around voter enrolment have surfaced in other states as well.Ahead of recent elections:In Karnataka, opposition parties flagged unusual increases in voter additionsIn Telangana, both additions (Form 6) and deletions (Form 7) became contestedIn Maharashtra, last-minute enrolment spikes were questioned

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‘Fake Voters Being Added’: How Form 6 Became Bengal’s Electoral Flashpoint

TMC alleges mass misuse of Form 6 in Bengal, citing bulk, duplicate applications and weak verification.

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Topics: Trinamool Congress Election Commission of India Election Commission