Negligence in document uploading during West Bengal’s SIR process, EC to issue show-cause notice

February 20, 2026

New Delhi: The Election Commission of India has decided to issue show-cause notices to the concerned Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) for failing to upload voters’ documents online during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in West Bengal.

According to an official, approximately 1.15 lakh documents have not been uploaded even four days after the hearing concluded.

Commission strict on violations of rules

The Commission had previously issued clear instructions that if an application is rejected, a clear reason should be recorded. However, there are allegations that this instruction was not followed in many cases.

Furthermore, the processing of applications is reportedly slow, and there have been complaints of sudden system failures in some areas. In light of these circumstances, the Commission has decided to seek answers from the concerned officials.

TMC’s Allegation: Instructions via WhatsApp

Meanwhile, the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) has alleged that Special Roll Observer C. Murugan issued instructions to officials via WhatsApp, violating the Supreme Court order. The party has objected to this practice.

Chief Electoral Officer’s Clarification

Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal, responding to the allegations, said that Mr. Murugan did not issue any independent instructions, but only clarified the Commission’s instructions. He said that he would be consulted on the matter in light of the TMC’s complaint.

However, there has been no official response from the Chief Electoral Officer’s office regarding the demand for Mr. Murugan’s resignation.