Kolkata, July 28 (IANS) West Bengal Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari on Monday said that he has written to the Chief Election Commissioner of India (CEC) highlighting an abnormally high number of Form-6 applications submitted last week from districts bordering Bangladesh.

Form 6 is an application for the inclusion of one’s name in the electoral list.

In the letter, a copy of which is available with IANS, the leader of the opposition pointed out that the number of Form-6 applications from these districts in West Bengal was hovering around 70,000 last week, a sharp rise from the usual average of 20,000 to 25,000.

The districts flagged by Suvendu Adhikari are Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri, Malda, North Dinajpur, Murshidabad, Nadia, and North & South 24 Parganas, all having borders with Bangladesh.

The leader of the opposition had also pointed out that the sudden surge, coupled with reports of domicile certificates being issued by the West Bengal Administration, raises serious concerns about the state government’s “unethical and illegal” attempts to legitimise infiltrating Rohingya Muslims and illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, to influence the voters’ lists.

In the letter to the CEC, the leader of the opposition also urged the CEC to ensure that no domicile certificate issued by the state government on or after July 25 this year was accepted or considered during the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, whenever such activity is conducted in West Bengal.

“The integrity of our democracy must be protected and cannot be allowed to get diluted for the vested interests of vote bank politics. The district election officers must remember that they are entrusted with the responsibility of conducting free and fair elections, and their allegiance is with the country and protecting the interests of the country,” Adhikari said in the letter.

The SIR, already completed in Bihar, is expected to start in West Bengal in the first week of August. The ruling Trinamool Congress has opposed the move and claimed that it is an indirect ploy to push the NRC in West Bengal.

–IANS

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