Kolkata | 12 January 2026

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has signalled possible disciplinary action against Mousam Sarkar, Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO) of the Bagnan Assembly constituency in West Bengal, after he publicly questioned alleged irregularities in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. An official confirmation of the development came on Monday.

Sarkar, who also serves as the Block Disaster Management Officer of Bagnan Block-II, had earlier raised concerns over what he described as “logical discrepancies” in the AERO log during the SIR process. The Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, responded strongly, stating on social media platform X that Sarkar had violated service discipline by airing his grievances publicly instead of following official channels.

According to the CEO’s office, if Sarkar had objections to the SIR exercise, he should have formally approached senior अधिकारियों or the District Election Officer. The office stated that bypassing internal mechanisms and making public remarks amounted to indiscipline, violation of service rules, and disrespect toward a constitutional authority, adding that appropriate action would be taken as per law.

Sarkar, however, defended his decision, saying he had acted in the public interest. He claimed that the discrepancies flagged during the SIR process were not new and dated back to 2002, when errors in names and ages were later corrected by voters themselves through Form 8, in line with Election Commission rules. On January 8, Sarkar formally wrote to the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) of Bagnan detailing these concerns and simultaneously resigned from his post as AERO. He stated that officials should speak up when procedural lapses could affect voters, warning that silence would ultimately harm the public.

 ECI Signals Action After Bengal Election Officer Flags SIR Irregularities in Public

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has hinted at disciplinary action against Mousam Sarkar, Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO) of Bagnan Assembly constituency in West Bengal, after he publicly questioned alleged discrepancies in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The development came to light on Monday, January 12, 2026.

Sarkar, who is also the Block Disaster Management Officer of Bagnan Block-II, raised concerns over what he described as logical errors in the SIR process. Reacting sharply, the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, stated on X that such issues should have been addressed through official channels instead of being aired publicly, calling the act a breach of service discipline.

According to the CEO’s office, Sarkar’s actions amount to indiscipline and violation of service rules, adding that as an employee of the Election Commission, he is bound by established procedures. The office indicated that appropriate action would be taken in accordance with the law.

Defending his stand, Sarkar said he acted in the public interest, claiming that many discrepancies date back to 2002 and were earlier corrected by voters using Form 8 as per ECI norms. On January 8, he wrote to the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) of Bagnan highlighting these issues and stepped down from his role as AERO, stating that remaining silent would ultimately harm voters.