Booth Level Officers (BLOs) in West Bengal have raised serious concerns regarding their safety and are demanding protection from central forces. This comes ahead of the critical house-to-house voter enumeration process scheduled to begin on Monday. The situation is further complicated by tit-for-tat complaints filed by the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), alleging intimidation tactics against the BLOs.
During training sessions held on Saturday, several BLOs voiced their apprehensions. One BLO, who attended a session in Nazrul Mancha, south Kolkata, stated, “We have informed the WBCEO’s office of our concerns. The biggest concern is safety. Demands for providing security by central forces were also made.” The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) for voter rolls across 12 states and union territories, including West Bengal, is set to commence on Monday.
The venue also witnessed protests as BLOs threatened to boycott their duties if adequate security and official recognition were not provided. A school teacher who serves as a BLO expressed frustration, saying, “The poll panel officials were silent when we demanded an ‘on duty slip’ to skip school and carry out the duty of a BLO. If the ‘on duty slip’ is not provided, we will have to attend both our office and then carry out the BLO’s job. This is impossible.”
Acknowledging the grievances, a poll panel official in Kolkata confirmed, “The BLOs have raised some issues. The ECI officials in New Delhi have been informed. We are trying to address them.” Election Commission officials have assured that any complaints regarding the intimidation of BLOs will be taken very seriously and their protection will be ensured. However, it is noted that BLOs are typically deployed by the state government.
The TMC has lodged a complaint with the chief electoral officer against Suvendu Adhikari, a BJP legislator and the leader of the opposition in the state assembly. The complaint alleges that Adhikari intimidated BLOs by threatening them with imprisonment if they did not comply with instructions, referencing past detentions of BLOs in Bihar and warning West Bengal BLOs of similar consequences.
In response, the BJP has filed a complaint against Girindranath Barman, the TMC chairman in Cooch Behar district. The BJP alleges that Barman instructed party workers to detain BLOs who arrived without complete voter lists. The BJP’s letter urged for an FIR against Barman for threatening a government employee, warning that inaction could lead to further threats and potential physical attacks.