Kolkata, Dec 26: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has ordered special scrutiny of domicile certificates issued by the West Bengal government after July 2025, citing concerns over their potential misuse as hearings on claims and objections to the draft electoral roll begin on Saturday.
According to officials, the certificates—currently being submitted as identity documents by voters—will be closely examined to verify both their authenticity and the eligibility of the holders.
The scrutiny comes amid allegations by opposition parties that such certificates were issued indiscriminately without adequate background checks.
The ECI has directed the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal to ensure that District Magistrates, who also function as District Electoral Officers (DEOs), along with other electoral officials, verify domicile certificates submitted by so-called “unmapped” voters.
These voters are those whose names could not be linked to the 2002 electoral roll through self-mapping or progeny-mapping.
Sources in the CEO’s office said the verification will focus on two key aspects—whether the certificates are genuine or fraudulent, and whether they have been issued to bona fide residents of West Bengal.
The process will involve a two-tier examination, first by Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and subsequently by DEOs.
Micro-observers appointed to oversee the hearings have also been instructed to flag any irregularities related to the submission or verification of domicile certificates, the sources said.
The decision to place certificates issued after July 2025 under special observation follows complaints from opposition parties, including Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, who has alleged that domicile certificates were being issued to illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya migrants.
Hearings on claims and objections to the draft voters’ list will continue over the coming weeks, after which all submitted documents will undergo a comprehensive review.
The final electoral roll is scheduled to be published on 14 February 2026. The ECI is expected to announce polling dates for the West Bengal Assembly elections thereafter.
