Election Commission Orders Immediate Suspension of Basirhat-II AERO for Statutory Violations

Law Notify : The Election Commission has directed the Chief Secretary of West Bengal to immediately suspend Sumitra Pratim Prodhan, Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO) and Block Development Officer (BDO) of Basirhat-II, and to remove him from all electoral roll-related responsibilities.

In a letter addressed to the Chief Secretary, the Commission noted that the officer had assigned four officials as Additional AEROs to conduct hearings on voter list discrepancies. The Commission clarified that these officials were never formally appointed as AEROs under Section 13C of the Representation of the People Act, 1950.

The Commission stated that the move constitutes serious misconduct and a clear violation of statutory provisions governing electoral administration. It has ordered the immediate initiation of disciplinary proceedings and directed the state government to submit a detailed compliance report within 48 hours. The Commission has also sought periodic updates on the progress of the disciplinary action.