The Election Commission of India has stepped into a political firestorm, agreeing to meet with Trinamool Congress leaders following the party's serious allegations connecting the deaths of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) to excessive workload from ongoing electoral revision work in West Bengal.
Delegation Dispute Erupts
Responding to a request from TMC MP Derek O'Brien for a meeting with a 10-member delegation of party MPs, the poll body issued a formal invitation with a crucial modification. In a letter addressed to party chairperson Mamata Banerjee and copied to Derek O'Brien, the commission invited a truncated delegation comprising the TMC's 'authorised representative' and four other members for a meeting scheduled at 11 am on Friday, November 28.
The commission's decision to reduce the delegation size immediately drew sharp criticism from TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, who publicly questioned why the EC appeared scared to face all 10 MPs. In a bold challenge, he even dared the election body to telecast the meeting live for public transparency.
Procedural Standoff Deepens
Meanwhile, in a parallel development on Tuesday, Derek O'Brien wrote to the EC again, reiterating the original list of 10 names for the proposed delegation. Interestingly, this list notably excluded the party's officially designated 'authorised representatives' - Lok Sabha MPs Abhishek Banerjee and Kakoli Dastidar - as per EC records.
Commission sources clarified that according to established protocol, only the party president or officially declared 'authorised representatives' can nominate members for delegation meetings with the EC. The sources indicated that the commission might formally respond to Derek O'Brien, pointing out this procedural norm and requesting that the communication naming delegation members be sent by either Trinamool chairperson Mamata Banerjee or the two authorised representatives on record.
Background of the Conflict
The scheduled meeting comes against the backdrop of serious concerns raised by Mamata Banerjee in her Monday communication to the EC. The West Bengal Chief Minister had expressed apprehension about two key proposals: the planned hiring of 1,000 data entry operators by the West Bengal chief electoral officer and the EC's proposal to establish polling stations within private housing complexes.
The core of the conflict, however, remains the tragic suicides and deaths of Booth Level Officers, which the Trinamool Congress has directly attributed to the overwhelming workload resulting from the special intensive revision (SIR) currently underway in the state. This meeting represents a critical opportunity for dialogue amid escalating tensions between the state's ruling party and the constitutional body overseeing India's electoral process.
