BJP trying to include outsiders in poll list through Form 6: Mamata writes to CEC

PTI, March 31, 2026, Kolkata: In a strongly-worded letter to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, TMC supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday accused the BJP of attempting to illegally include voters from outside West Bengal to the poll-bound state’s electoral rolls in bulk by means of Form 6 applications.

Mamata termed it yet “another coordinated attempt by the BJP, in conjunction with the Election Commission of India, to interfere with the democratic rights of the people”.

The Trinamool Congress supremo shot the letter in less than 24 hours after the party’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Monday alleged that nearly 30,000 Form 6s were submitted by the BJP in a day to make residents of other states voters of West Bengal.

“There are serious concerns that these applications may pertain to individuals who are not genuine residents of Bengal and who have no legitimate connection to the state. Similar patterns were reportedly observed prior to elections in Bihar, Haryana, Maharashtra and Delhi,” Mamata wrote to Kumar.

“Such actions, if true, would be illegal, unconstitutional and fundamentally undemocratic, reflecting mala fide intent and ill motive. This is not the standard expected of a constitutional authority. The people have the right to transparency and to the protection of their voting rights,” Mamata added.

The Chief Minister stated that she had “reasonable apprehensions” that the 30,000-odd applications would be “allowed by the EC without giving appropriate notice to the concerned booths (sic) and to all the political parties”.

Referring to the Supreme Court’s February 20 order stating that claims and objections to inclusion or deletion of names in the final electoral rolls would be scrutinised by judicial officers, Mamata maintained that the decision of the state’s chief electoral officer or any other administrative officers on the Form 6 applications was “totally illegal and beyond the scope” of the apex court’s order.

She also referred to an EC memo, dated March 27, allowing addition through Form 6 and addition by shifting through Form 8, considered till the last day of nomination.

The order was “absolutely illegal and unfair by reasons of the Orders of the Supreme Court and beyond the statutory scheme of the Registration of the Electors Rules 1960”, the TMC supremo said.

“These provisions are intended for limited purposes, primarily benefiting prospective candidates and cannot be invoked for bulk consideration of applications,” the TMC supremo maintained.

Addressing an election rally at Garbeta in Paschim Medinipur district, Mamata said: “If the BJP tries to squeeze in illegal outstation voters in Bengal’s electoral rolls, then people will resist.”

“They will not get a single vote of the people of Bengal because they know the saffron party has implemented this trick in states like Bihar and Maharashtra and got away with it because the opposition failed to understand the ploy.”

Mamata said she did not expect Kumar to respond to her letter.

“My concerns are likely to fall on deaf ears since the poll body is shameless in its actions. It will be judged by the people of this state,” she said.

The Election Commission accepts applications on Form 6 for registering new voters. It is a mandatory procedure which requires the furnishing of documents to prove the applicant’s date of birth and residence address, besides other necessary identity papers.

Party’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Monday met Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal and alleged that a large number of Form 6s were being submitted by the BJP to make residents of other states voters of poll-bound West Bengal.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Banerjee said people deserve to know what was happening to the state’s electoral rolls.

“We have credible information that about 30,000 Form 6s were submitted to the CEO’s office in six to seven hours today, in clear violation of Supreme Court directives,” he claimed.

Form 6 is used for the inclusion of a name in the electoral rolls for first-time voters or for shifting a voter from one constituency to another.

Banerjee claimed that a representative of a BJP leader brought a “sackful of Form 6” to the CEO’s office.

“The CEO could not provide any satisfactory reply to our query about large-scale Form 6 submissions, and we urged him to release the CCTV footage. We will not take it lying down,” he said.

Agarwal could not be reached for a comment on the allegation.