Local residents alerted authorities after spotting the sack near a garbage heap in Shantipur, which was initially thought to contain garbage. Upon closer inspection, the sack was found to have torn open, and a large number of voter cards spilled out. Authorities were quickly informed, and a police team was dispatched to the scene to seize the voter cards and transport them to the police station for further verification.
According to reports, the cards appeared to be from a range of constituencies, with many of them linked to North 24 Parganas. In total, the sack reportedly contained around 400 to 500 voter cards, along with additional documents. This raised further suspicions, given the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state, which has been underway since November 4 and is scheduled to conclude on December 11. During this period, voter cards and other electoral documents are being carefully scrutinised.
A police officer confirmed that an inquiry had been initiated to determine how and why the voter cards were discarded at the location. Investigators are working to ascertain whether they were discarded accidentally, or if there is a more deliberate attempt to influence the electoral process.
The discovery has sparked a political controversy, with local Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders accusing members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of deliberately dumping the cards in the area. Tapan Sarkar, a TMC leader and member of the Shantipur Panchayat Samiti, claimed that the cards had been brought from other districts and dumped strategically ahead of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s scheduled visit to Krishnanagar later in the evening. “The Chief Minister will be passing through this National Highway No. 12. So, before that, all these cards have been taken from other districts and dumped. This is the work of the BJP,” Sarkar alleged.
The BJP, however, denied the accusation, claiming that the area where the voter cards were found falls under the jurisdiction of the TMC-run Panchayat. A BJP leader dismissed the claims, saying that the cards discovered were likely part of the same pool of voter cards used for alleged bogus voting in the past.
The discovery of the discarded voter cards comes at a time when the Election Commission is closely monitoring the revision of electoral rolls in West Bengal. The process, which involves the distribution and digitisation of enumeration forms, has already stirred political debate across the state, with both the ruling TMC and opposition parties accusing each other of manipulating the electoral process.
As tensions mount, this latest incident has added fuel to the political fire, raising concerns about the integrity of the electoral system in the state. With political figures from both parties making competing claims, it remains to be seen how the police investigation will unfold and whether any action will be taken regarding the discarded voter cards.
The situation continues to develop, and further details are expected as the inquiry progresses.