Baby Chakraborty, KalimNews, May 22, 2025, Kolkata : A controversy has emerged over allegations of dual voter registration involving Koel Chowdhury, wife of West Bengal BJP President Sukanta Majumdar. According to reports, her name appears on voter rolls in two locations—her parental residence in Jalpaiguri and her in-laws’ residence in Balurghat. While she is registered as Koel Chowdhury in Jalpaiguri, her name appears as Koel Majumdar in Balurghat.
It has been clarified that Koel Chowdhury transferred her voter registration from Jalpaiguri to Balurghat before the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections. However, allegations have surfaced that her name was not removed from the Jalpaiguri list after the transfer. Following this revelation about a week ago, Koel Chowdhury reportedly filed an application with the Election Commission to cancel her name from the Jalpaiguri rolls.
Addressing the matter, Sukanta Majumdar stated that his wife’s voter card was officially transferred, and termed the issue a politically motivated distraction. He emphasized that the responsibility for updating voter lists lies with the district administration and not with individuals, adding that state officials act under the directives of the state government. He remarked, “If someone’s name is in two places, Mamata Banerjee is responsible for it. DMs work on her orders, not mine.”
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has raised concerns over the integrity of the electoral rolls, claiming that duplicate voter identity cards indicate broader irregularities. The TMC has demanded a complete revision of the voter rolls, accusing the BJP of attempting to manipulate the list by allegedly including non-resident voters.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India (ECI) issued a clarification regarding recent reports that highlighted the issuance of identical voter card numbers in different states. The ECI stated that while some Elector Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers might be identical, key demographic details, polling booths, and constituencies remain distinct. The Commission reiterated that voters are only eligible to cast their ballots at polling stations in their officially enrolled constituencies.
Reacting to the ECI’s clarification, TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh claimed that the Commission’s acknowledgment reinforced their position that names have been added to the rolls post previous elections, allegedly to benefit a specific political party.
The matter continues to stir political debate in the state, reflecting ongoing tensions between the ruling TMC and the opposition BJP over electoral processes.