A delegation of senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders on Tuesday met with the Election Commission of India (ECI) to express serious concerns over the presence of alleged fake voters in the state’s electoral rolls.

Speaking after the meeting, West Bengal Minister Firhad Hakim said, “Today, under the leadership of Kalyan Banerjee, Arup Biswas, Chandrima Bhattacharya, and I, went to the ECI. Our leader Mamata Banerjee respects the Election Commission, and we have made this clear. We specifically raised the issue of fake voters, right before the elections, just like it happened in Maharashtra and Delhi. This is wrong.”

Hakim further claimed that the delegation had highlighted the role of central security forces in polling booths, alleging they sometimes tried to influence voters. “Sometimes, central forces enter the booth and in many cases, they try to influence the voter,” he said, demanding corrective measures ahead of the polls.

The TMC leaders urged the ECI to ensure a free, fair, and transparent election process in West Bengal and to investigate the claims of fake voters urgently. “We have asked them to take action against this and we hope they will,” Hakim said, adding that the Election Commission had assured the delegation that their concerns would be addressed.