Overview
- Families of two elderly voters, including 82-year-old Durjan Majhi in Purulia and 64-year-old Jamat Ali Sheikh in Howrah, filed police complaints after the men died following SIR hearing notices, alleging harassment by top election officials.
- The Election Commission said the complaints were premeditated and unsubstantiated, vowed to pursue legal remedies to probe any conspiracy, and declared that pressure tactics would not derail the statutory roll revision.
- The poll body ordered that electors aged 85 and above, as well as sick or persons with disabilities, may skip in-person hearings on request, and noted that about 1.3 lakh voters missing online due to a glitch are exempt from hearings.
- A 10-member TMC delegation led by Abhishek Banerjee accused the EC of enabling 'vote chori' via voter lists, cited 1.36 crore electors flagged for 'logical discrepancies,' and said the party would challenge the final roll in court if flaws persist.
- EC officials directed immediate release of enhanced honorarium for BLOs, announced polling stations in high-rises, gated communities and slums, warned of strict action against threats to election staff, and dispatched senior officials to monitor hearings in Howrah.