Allegations of Interference at SIR Hearing Center Stir Political Clash in Dakshin Dinajpur

Political Turmoil in Dakshin Dinajpur

Kamal Kumar Biswas

Senior Correspondent 

Fresh allegations of interference with election-related officials have intensified political tensions in West Bengal’s Dakshin Dinajpur district, after the Bharatiya Janata Party accused a ruling-party lawmaker of attempting to influence officials at a voter assistance center(SIR).

The complaint centers on a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) hearing facility operating at the Kisan Mandi in Kushmandi block, where voter verification and related hearings were underway on Monday. Local leaders of the BJP alleged that Rekha Roy, a legislator(MLA) from the Trinamool Congress, arrived at the center accompanied by party supporters and remained inside the hearing room for an extended period, seeking to influence micro-observers and booth-level officers overseeing the process.

Times of Dakshin Dinajpur has not yet confirmed the authenticity of this letter.

District BJP leaders said they submitted a written complaint by email to the District Election Officer, calling for an inquiry into what they described as a violation of electoral norms designed to keep political actors at arm’s length from administrative proceedings.The situation escalated when BJP workers, led by Tapas Roy, a district party official, reached the site to protest. According to party accounts, a heated verbal exchange followed between leaders of the two parties, briefly heightening tensions at the venue.

The episode quickly drew wider attention after Dr.Sukanta Majumdar, a Union minister of state for education and a BJP member of Parliament from Balurghat, condemned the incident in a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. He characterized the allegations as part of a troubling pattern of pressure on officials involved in voter revision exercises.Election authorities in the district said they were aware of the complaint and would examine the matter once a formal written submission was received and reviewed. Ms.Rekha  Roy denied the allegations, rejecting claims that she or her associates sought to influence election officials. Instead, she accused BJP workers of harassing ordinary citizens under the pretext of the SIR process. “Our concern is to ensure that no common person faces inconvenience,” she said, adding that her presence was aimed at monitoring the situation and addressing public grievances.

The confrontation reflects the broader political volatility surrounding voter list revisions in the state, where opposition parties have repeatedly accused the ruling Trinamool Congress of undermining electoral neutrality, charges the party has consistently denied. As election officials begin to review the complaint, both sides are bracing for another flashpoint in West Bengal’s fiercely contested political landscape.