- ECI scrutiny of domicile certificates during voter list hearings
- West Bengal voters list revision puts domicile certificates in focus
Domicile certificates issued by the West Bengal government after July 2025 will come under close scrutiny by the Election Commission of India during the claims and objections process for the draft voters list. The special review will apply to documents submitted as identity proof during hearing sessions that begin on Saturday in West Bengal.
According to officials, the Election Commission has already instructed the office of the Chief Electoral Officer in West Bengal to ensure strict verification. District Magistrates, who also serve as District Electoral Officers, and their subordinate staff will check the authenticity of domicile certificates submitted by “unmapped” voters. These voters are those who do not have links with the 2002 voters list, either through self mapping or progeny mapping. Therefore, the focus will remain on ensuring that only genuine residents receive electoral inclusion.
Sources from the Chief Electoral Officer’s office said the verification process will follow two broad parameters. First, officials will examine whether the domicile certificates are genuine or fake. Second, they will assess whether the certificates were issued to residents who are truly eligible under the rules. Meanwhile, authorities have planned a two level verification system to strengthen the process. Electoral Registration Officers will conduct the first level of checks. Then, District Electoral Officers will carry out the second level of scrutiny.
In addition, micro observers appointed specifically for the hearing sessions have been asked to stay alert. They will note cases where voters submit domicile certificates as identity documents. Later, they will report such cases to higher authorities for further review. This step, officials said, will help prevent misuse during the voters list revision exercise.
“The decision of the Commission to bring the domicile certificates issued by West Bengal after July 2025 had been taken following complaints by different opposition parties that the state administration had indiscriminately issued domicile certificates to anyone applying for them without proper background verification,” sources in the CEO’s office said.
The leader of the opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, has earlier accused the state administration of issuing domicile certificates to illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya infiltrators. However, officials said the current exercise will rely strictly on document verification norms.
The hearing sessions will begin on Saturday. After that, officials will review all documents submitted during the process. The final voters list will be published on February 14 next year. Later, the Election Commission of India will announce polling dates for the West Bengal Assembly elections next year.
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