Don’t ask me about assembly poll dates, says Bengal CEO

2026-03-07

Kolkata: Dont ask me about poll dates, said Bengal chief electoral officer (CEO) Manoj Agarwal while speaking to reports on Friday, adding that the decision entirely lay with the Election Commission.

I dont announce poll dates. I dont have the power to announce the dates. Its the EC that has the power to announce poll dates. The commission wont even consult me on finalising the dates. The ECs full bench is coming to Kolkata. Please ask them, he said.

The CEO acknowledged that the current situation in Bengal vis a vis the assembly election schedule, considering that the voter status of 60 lakh people was under adjudication, was unprecedented.

To my knowledge, something like this regarding adjudication has not happened before, said Agarwal.

He added, however, that in every election some Form 6 applications are submitted at the last hour. Those are not disposed of before polls. Under the rules, Form 6 can be accepted until the last day of filing nominations, he said.

But if the Form 6 is submitted a day after the last date of filing of nominations, it wont be disposed of, the CEO explained. Several political parties have said that elections cannot be held in the state while 60 lakh voters remain under adjudication. CM Mamata Banerjee on Friday initiated a dharna at Metro Channel protesting mass deletion of voters.

The CEO said: Political parties can make their demands, but ultimately it is the EC that will take a decision within the Constitution and law.

This is entirely within ECs jurisdiction. I function as the CEO in the state under the superintendence, direction and control of EC. This is a policy-related decision and only the EC will decide. I have no jurisdiction, said Agarwal.

Responding to another query on whether polls could indeed be held excluding the 60 lakh names under adjudication, Agarwal said it was premature to assume all 60 lakh names would be left out since a section of under adjudication had already been disposed of.