West Bengal: Election Commission suspends Assistant Returning Officer Jyotsna Khatun after she was found to be campaigning for TMC, criticised SIR saying ‘ECI made a mockery of the process’

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has suspended Jyotsna Khatun, Joint Block Development Officer (Jt BDO) of Khandaghosh Development Block and Assistant Returning Officer (ARO) for the Khandaghosh Assembly constituency in West Bengal, and initiated disciplinary proceedings against her.

According to a letter to Chief Secretary of West Bengal by the ECI, the poll panel took the action citing violation of the Model Code of Conduct and the requirement of absolute neutrality from election officials.

The suspension comes days after BJP MP Saumitra Khan publicly raised serious allegations against her. On March 29, Khan had raised the issue on X, stating that Jyotsna Khatun was “openly campaigning & posting in favor of the TMC, completely abandoning the neutrality required of her constitutional office.” He tagged the ECI and the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal, demanding immediate intervention to safeguard election integrity.

Khan’s post included screenshots showing Khatun’s social media activity, in which she was accused of campaigning for the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and openly criticising the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process of electoral rolls, a key ECI exercise aimed at cleaning up voter lists ahead of elections.

She also criticised the Election Commission for large scale transfer of administrative and police officials in West Bengal after elections were announced. She had posted, “Two and a half lakh personnel from the Central Forces are arriving—forces against whom no FIRs can be lodged.”

The officials had written in a Facebook post, “True to form, the Election Commission has effectively made a mockery of the process, toying with the lives of the people.” Jyotsna Khatun had also written that the election in West Bengal is ‘war between centre and the state.

Written by OpIndia Staff
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