WB Congress Chief Subhankar Sarkar Blames Poll Panel for Malda Chaos

Hooghly, April 3 — Subhankar Sarkar on Friday held the Election Commission of India responsible for the recent violence in Malda, where judicial officers were confined for hours during protests over voter list revisions.

Sarkar said, “The Election Commission is fully responsible for the Malda incident,” while addressing reporters, directly blaming the poll body for lapses that led to the breakdown of law and order.

The statement came after seven judicial officers, including three women, were gheraoed for several hours in Malda’s Kaliachak area amid protests linked to alleged mass deletions from electoral rolls under the Special Intensive Revision process.

Authorities later rescued the officers around midnight following intervention by security forces, while the incident triggered statewide political reactions and administrative scrutiny.

Protests erupted across multiple parts of Malda, including Mothabari and surrounding constituencies, with demonstrators blocking roads and alleging wrongful removal of voter names.

The unrest escalated into a major law-and-order situation, prompting the Election Commission to seek reports from state authorities and initiate further action.

The Commission subsequently referred the case to the National Investigation Agency for a preliminary probe following directions from the Supreme Court, highlighting the seriousness of the incident.

Meanwhile, Sarkar criticised both the central and state governments, alleging governance failures and a decline in law and order compared to previous Congress regimes.

He urged voters across West Bengal to support the Congress in the ongoing Assembly election, stating that the party would ensure better governance and stability if elected.

The Malda incident has intensified political tensions ahead of the 2026 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election, with multiple parties trading blame over administrative lapses and electoral irregularities.

Political leaders across parties have issued sharp reactions, turning the incident into a key flashpoint in the run-up to polling scheduled later this month.