A delegation of the Trinamool Congress met Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in Delhi on Tuesday, alleging large-scale manipulation of electoral rolls during the ongoing voter re-verification exercise in West Bengal, months before the Assembly election.

The 10-member delegation was led by party leader Abhishek Banerjee and included Rajya Sabha chief whip Md Nadimul Haque, MPs Derek O’Brien, Kalyan Banerjee, Mamata Thakur, Saket Gokhale and Ritabrata Banerjee, along with senior leaders Pradip Mazumdar, Chandrima Bhattacharya and Manas Bhunia.

Allegations over voter re-verification

After submitting a detailed representation, Banerjee said the focus on electronic voting machines had diverted attention from what he described as the real threat to free and fair elections. According to him, irregularities were occurring at the level of electoral rolls rather than during polling.

The party alleged that the voter re-verification drive was being used to selectively delete, reclassify or flag voters through what it termed opaque, software-driven mechanisms. In its submission, Trinamool flagged the introduction of new and unexplained categories such as “suspicious voters” and “logical discrepancies”, claiming these classifications did not exist in earlier Special Intensive Revision exercises.

Demanding transparency, Banerjee said the election commission should make public the complete list of voters marked under “logical discrepancies”. He alleged that electoral rolls were being “weaponised” to influence election outcomes and said he conveyed this concern directly to the chief election commissioner during the meeting.

Claims of tense meeting

Describing the interaction as tense, Banerjee alleged that the delegation’s concerns were dismissed and that the chief election commissioner interrupted the discussion. He further accused the central government of undermining constitutional institutions and challenged the poll panel to make public the proceedings of the meeting, including CCTV footage.

Banerjee also sought to widen the issue beyond West Bengal, claiming that opposition parties in other states had failed to identify similar problems in time. He called for greater coordination among opposition parties to detect alleged irregularities in voter lists.

Election commission’s response

The election commission rejected the Trinamool’s allegations and issued a set of counter-directions following the meeting. It said the West Bengal government should immediately release the enhanced honorarium approved by the commission for Booth Level Officers.

The commission also informed the delegation that additional polling stations would be set up in high-rise buildings, gated communities and slum areas to improve voter access. It cautioned political parties to ensure that their ground-level representatives do not threaten or intimidate election officials, including Booth Level Officers, Electoral Registration Officers, Assistant EROs and observers.

Warning of strict action, the poll panel said any attempt to interfere with the election process or intimidate electoral staff would invite strong punitive measures, reiterating its commitment to maintaining the integrity of elections.

Madhya Pradesh minister Kailash Vijayvargiya on Wednesday admitted that mistakes were committed by officials in connection with the contaminated drinking water incident in Indore that has so far claimed seven lives. He asserted that those found responsible would not be spared, regardless of their position.

The deaths were reported from Indore’s Bhagirathpura area, where a major outbreak of vomiting and diarrhoea over the past week has affected more than 1,100 people, according to officials. Of these, 111 patients required hospitalisation.

Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava confirmed that seven people have died after falling ill due to contaminated water supply in the area. Bhagirathpura falls under the Indore-1 assembly constituency, represented by Vijayvargiya, who also holds the urban development and housing portfolio.

‘Mistake has been committed,’ says minister

Responding to questions from reporters, Vijayvargiya said the focus should currently be on patient recovery rather than assigning blame. He acknowledged lapses but maintained that accountability would follow.

“I feel that a mistake has been committed, but it is better if we first ensure that all patients recover and create a positive environment rather than discuss this now,” he said, adding that officials at any level would face action if found guilty.

On the exact number of deaths linked directly to contaminated water, the minister said figures would be clarified after a medical and administrative inquiry, noting that some deaths were natural while others were related to the incident.

Medical response and government support

Authorities said the number of fresh cases has declined, although hospital admissions are still ongoing. Four ambulances and dedicated medical teams have been deployed in Bhagirathpura to manage the situation.

Separate wards have been established for affected patients at the government-run Maharaja Yashwantrao Hospital and the private Shri Aurobindo Institute of Medical Sciences. Private hospitals in the locality have also been directed to treat patients, with the state government bearing the full cost of medical care.

Pipeline leakage traced as possible cause

Municipal Corporation Commissioner Dilip Kumar Yadav said a leakage was found in the main water supply pipeline in Bhagirathpura. The affected section reportedly passed beneath a toilet structure, raising the possibility of sewage contamination entering the drinking water supply.

Following instructions from Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, immediate action has been taken against municipal officials. A zonal officer and an assistant engineer have been suspended, while the services of an in-charge sub-engineer have been terminated.

A three-member inquiry committee headed by an Indian Administrative Service officer has been constituted to investigate the incident and determine responsibility.

A 28-year-old married woman was allegedly gang-raped inside a moving van in Faridabad for more than two hours before being thrown onto the road in the early hours of Tuesday, police said.

The incident took place during the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday when the woman was waiting for a vehicle to return home. A van stopped near her, and two men offered to drop her home. Instead, the vehicle was driven towards Gurgaon Road.

According to the complaint, the woman was confined inside the van for around two-and-a-half hours, during which the accused allegedly raped her repeatedly. She protested and pleaded for help, but the men allegedly threatened her and continued driving.

Around 3 am, the accused threw the woman out of the moving vehicle near Raja Chowk in SGM Nagar. She sustained severe facial injuries and was found bleeding on the road.

Despite her condition, the woman managed to call her sister several times. When the sister returned the call, she was informed about the incident. Family members rushed to the location and took the woman to a hospital, where doctors reportedly applied 10 to 12 stitches to her face. Her condition is stable, but she remains in shock, and her statement has not yet been recorded.

In her complaint, the victim’s sister said the woman had called her the previous evening around 8.30 pm, saying she had an argument with their mother and was going to a friend’s house. She had told her family she would return within three hours.

Police said the woman is married, has three children, and lives separately from her husband due to a domestic dispute.

Both accused have been arrested, and the van used in the crime has been recovered. Further investigation is underway.