Written by Damini Nath+1 MoreNew Delhi/kolkata | November 4, 2025 06:10 AM IST 5 min readBooth-Level Officers collect enumeration forms and other documents in Kolkata on Monday (Express/Partha Paul)Ahead of the start of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in 12 States and UTs, including West Bengal, Tuesday, a delegation of BJP leaders on Monday asked the Election Commission to impose additional safeguards in the state, alleging widespread issuance of “backdated and forged documents” to establish citizenship and residence proof.A delegation, including West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya, MP Biplab Deb and BJP IT Dept in-charge Amit Malviya, met the poll panel Monday evening and challenged crucial documents such as birth, residential, caste and forest rights certificates issued by the Trinamool Congress government.Malviya said the delegation asked the commission to review the documentation process for the SIR in the state. He said the EC had taken note of their request.Starting with Bihar in June, the EC has ordered an SIR of electoral rolls across the country, asking electors to submit documents to establish their eligibility for voter ID. In Bihar, the EC had given an indicative list of 11 documents — including birth, caste, forest rights certificates and passport and excluding Aadhaar and ration card — as proof for inclusion in the electoral rolls.In the memorandum submitted to the EC, the BJP delegation hit out at the TMC government in the state. “At the outset, we wish to acknowledge that the SIR is a critical process in ensuring the sanctity and accuracy of electoral rolls. Voting is not only a constitutional right but also the foundation of democratic governance. However, it has come to our notice that in the present context of West Bengal, certain serious irregularities are being observed in the issuance and authentication of documents being used for voter registration,” it said.Over the past few years, it said, there have been “large-scale issuance of backdated and forged documents, particularly through government schemes such as ‘Duare Sarkar’, aimed ostensibly at citizen welfare but effectively utilised to provide documentation to illegal infiltrators from across the border”.The party said reports indicate that the number of such certificates issued has increased since 2020. “Many of these are being used to create a false trail of citizenship and residence, thereby undermining the very purpose of the SIR — which is to ensure that only genuine citizens are enrolled as voters. Hence, we urge the Commission to treat the West Bengal situation as a special case requiring additional safeguards beyond those prescribed for other states,” the BJP leaders wrote.Story continues below this adThey suggested that birth certificates issued after June 24, the date on which the EC ordered the SIR exercise, should not be accepted, but if necessary, they should be verified by the Booth-Level Officers on a case-by-case basis.According to the memorandum, only permanent residence certificates issued and signed by Group-A officers should be accepted. In the case of forest rights certificates, only those that were issued before April 2, the date on which the state government appointed a new Forest Secretary, should be accepted.“Caste certificates have been issued in large numbers through Duare Sarkar camps without field enquiry… It is further noted that a vast number of OBC-A certificates have been issued to members of the Muslim community, many of whom are alleged to be illegal infiltrators. The Calcutta High Court has already declared the OBC-A category illegal, and the matter remains sub judice,” they said, adding that caste certificates issued without verification and OBC-A certificates issued between 2011 and 2024 should not be accepted.The BJP suggested that the Record of Rights (land khatians) before the first Duare Sarkar camp of 2020 and Provident Fund for landless agriculture labourers prior to the last SIR should be added to the list of documents for West Bengal.Story continues below this adAccording to the party, family registers have not been systematically prepared in West Bengal. There are apprehensions that new registers may be generated post facto to facilitate illegal inclusions, the BJP said.It recommended that “family registers prepared after 24th June 2025, and all registers created under MGNREGA, should not be accepted for SIR purposes”.The leaders alleged that the state government has launched schemes such as Banglar Bari (17.12.2024) and land patta distribution drives, covering millions of individuals. “These schemes were rolled out after central funds under PM Awas Yojana were stopped due to irregularities. There is credible apprehension that these certificates are being used to create false documentation of residence and citizenship,” the BJP alleged.It recommended that “all certificates issued under the Banglar Bari scheme should be excluded. Land pattas may only be accepted if issued before 24th June 2025”.Damini Nath is an Assistant Editor with the national bureau of The Indian Express. She covers the housing and urban affairs and Election Commission beats. She has 11 years of experience as a reporter and sub-editor. Before joining The Indian Express in 2022, she was a reporter with The Hindu’s national bureau covering culture, social justice, housing and urban affairs and the Election Commission. ... Read MoreRavik Bhattacharya is the Chief of Bureau of The Indian Express, Kolkata. Over 20 years of experience in the media industry and covered politics, crime, major incidents and issues, apart from investigative stories in West Bengal, Odisha, Assam and Andaman Nicobar islands. Ravik won the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award in 2007 for political reporting. Ravik holds a bachelor degree with English Hons from Scottish Church College under Calcutta University and a PG diploma in mass communication from Jadavpur University. Ravik started his career with The Asian Age and then moved to The Statesman, The Telegraph and Hindustan Times. ... 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