Kolkata: Booth Level Officers (BLOs) in West Bengal have demanded protection from central forces, citing rising political threats ahead of the house-to-house voter enumeration exercise beginning Tuesday. The demand comes as tensions escalate between the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), both accusing each other of intimidating polling staff.
Several BLOs voiced their safety concerns during training sessions held on Saturday. “We have informed the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer’s office of our concerns. The biggest worry is our safety. We also demanded security from central forces,” said a BLO who attended training at Nazrul Mancha in south Kolkata.
The voter list verification, part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise across 12 states and union territories, will commence in Bengal on Tuesday. However, discontent among BLOs grew as some threatened to boycott duties without proper security arrangements and official recognition. “We requested an ‘on-duty slip’ to be excused from school work while serving as BLOs. Without it, we’ll have to handle both jobs, which is impossible,” said a teacher-BLO who wished to remain anonymous.
An official from the Election Commission acknowledged the concerns and said the matter has been conveyed to the Election Commission of India in New Delhi. “The BLOs’ issues are being taken seriously, and their protection will be ensured,” the official said.
Meanwhile, the TMC filed a complaint with the Chief Electoral Officer against BJP leader and Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari for allegedly intimidating BLOs. The ruling party accused Adhikari of threatening BLOs with imprisonment if they failed to follow instructions, citing his remarks invoking the detention of BLOs in Bihar.
In response, the BJP lodged a counter-complaint against TMC’s Cooch Behar district chairman, Girindranath Barman, accusing him of urging party workers to “tie up” BLOs who arrived without complete voter lists. The BJP demanded an FIR and strict action, warning that unchecked threats could lead to physical assaults on officials.
The Election Commission has reiterated that intimidation of BLOs will be treated as a serious offense, emphasizing that their safety and independence are essential to the integrity of the voter enumeration process.
