Central Govt Joint Secretaries Continue To Make Secret WhatsApp Groups With Micro Observers.

New Delhi; February 2026: Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra on Wednesday claimed that Central Government joint secretaries are forming secret WhatsApp groups with micro observers to allegedly manipulate voter lists in West Bengal. TMC MP Moitra, along with a five-member AITC delegation including West Bengal Finance Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya, TMC leader Pratima Mondal, TMC MP Partha Bhowmick, and West Bengal Higher Education Minister Bratya Basu, met the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal to raise the issue.

Speaking to the media, Moitra referenced Supreme Court guidelines, emphasising that micro observers are non-statutory positions meant only to assist Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Assistant EROs (AEROs). She further accused the Central Government’s joint secretaries of creating secret WhatsApp groups and allegedly asking micro observers to delete voters.

“We have finished a meeting with the CEO of West Bengal, and the delegation of the TMC came to raise some very important issues. The most important issue is that even after clear-cut guidelines of the Supreme Court, the role of observers who are central government joint secretaries who have come to Bengal continues to make secret WhatsApp groups with micro observers”, Moitra said.

Mohua Moitra further asserted, “As you know, the Supreme Court made it very clear that micro observers are non-statutory positions and their only role is to assist EROs and AEROs. In spite of that, these role observers, specifically a Mr Murugan, have made these secret WhatsApp groups and are issuing wrong directions to MOs, asking them to delete voters”.

She urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to ensure that every eligible voter remains on the electoral rolls. Moitra also criticised the suspension of seven West Bengal officers without a show-cause notice, arguing that they should get a chance to defend. “Now, the motive of the election commission cannot be a sadistic motive to punish an ERO or an AERO. The motive of the election commission should be to make sure that every valid voter remains on the rolls. So, in cases where the hearing is complete and the document is given, they must ensure that these documents, that the portal is opened for these one-lakh-plus cases to be uploaded”.

“They have suspended 07 West Bengal officers without a show cause. Even a criminal, even a murderer, is allowed a defence or is allowed a show cause. In law, without a show cause, you cannot suspend. No rules of service allow this”, she added.

Mohua Moitra’s allegations were further re-affirmed by the MP Abhishek Banerjee yesterday when he alleged that the Election Commission of India is ‘flouting’ the directions of the Supreme Court while conducting the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in the state. Banerjee has alleged that the poll body is regularly circulating instructions to its officers through WhatsApp, rather through “formal, traceable, and accountable mechanisms”.

“Is the @ECI SVEEP of the view that directions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court can be openly FLOUTED? The highest Court of the land has repeatedly emphasised transparency, due process, and adherence to official channels of communication. Yet we are witnessing instructions being circulated over WhatsApp rather than through formal, traceable, and accountable mechanisms”, he posted on X.

He further alleged that there are ‘credible reports’ of ECI officials, specifically the Special Roll Observer, C. Murugan is giving instructions to other officers regarding accepting birth certificates as valid form of documents in order to “inflate deletion numbers”.

“Even more disturbing are credible reports of Special Roll Observer, C Murugan, issuing instructions regarding the acceptability of birth certificates directly to Micro Observers in a WhatsApp group, to inflate deletion numbers. Need I remind the ECI of the Supreme Court’s categorical directive that the role of micro-observers must remain strictly assistive? Why, then, is statutory procedure being bypassed, and under whose instructions?” the X post added.

The TMC leader also shared purported screenshots of WhatsApp messages, with the officials allegedly giving instructions regarding the acceptance of documents. “Login Data is being misused to generate queries and specifically target a certain community at the direction of ECI’s political masters in Delhi. Should this matter be independently examined, it will be established that the tower location and IP address of the login device differ from the actual location of the concerned roll observer”, he said.

He added further, “The Election Commission derives its legitimacy from PUBLIC TRUST, not POLITICAL PATRONAGE. We shall pursue this matter before the highest court of law. Further, any person aligning themselves with or acting at the behest of Zamindars of Delhi will face stringent and uncompromising legal action. Brace yourselves!”.

Team Maverick.