A day of high political drama unfolded in Kolkata on Monday as a massive protest erupted outside the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal. The agitation coincided with a visit by Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari and other BJP legislators to meet Election Commission officials, leading to a tense standoff between multiple groups.
Chaos Outside the CEO's Office: Dual Protests and Sloganeering
The scene outside the CEO's office turned volatile as members of the BLO Adhikar Raksha Committee gathered to press their demands. They raised loud anti-BJP slogans and attempted to breach the police barricades. Their chants of 'Go Back' were specifically directed at Suvendu Adhikari. The protesting Booth Level Officers (BLOs) were seeking a two-month extension to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) deadline and financial compensation for the families of BLOs who reportedly died due to work-related pressure. They aimed to submit a memorandum detailing these demands to the CEO's office.
In a counter-demonstration, BJP workers also assembled in front of the same office and raised slogans against the protesting BLOs. Despite the chaos outside, Adhikari's scheduled meeting with CEO Manoj Agarwal proceeded as planned.
BJP's Allegations of "Grave Irregularities" in Digitisation
With the SIR exercise in Bengal entering its final phase, the BJP delegation submitted a four-point charter of demands, alleging serious malpractices. Suvendu Adhikari pointed to what he called an "abnormal and statistically impossible jump" in digitisation figures. He claimed that between October 26 and October 28, the digitised count of forms surged from 5.5 crore to 6.75 crore.
"This surge was achieved not by BLOs, but by IPAC, an organisation known to be very close to the TMC, which illegally performed digitisation tasks," Adhikari alleged. He demanded an immediate audit of the digitisation process for those specific dates. In response, CEO Agarwal stated, "I have no proof. He might have proof, but I can't comment on this."
Adhikari also raised objections about the appointment of a land officer as an Electoral Registration Officer (ERO), arguing that only an officer of the Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) rank should hold such a position. Furthermore, he alleged that names of deceased voters were not being systematically purged from the rolls and demanded a special, CEO-supervised drive for their immediate deletion.
Political Reactions: TMC Hits Back, Congress Weighs In
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) swiftly responded, accusing the BJP of concocting conspiracy theories. Senior TMC spokesperson Arup Chakraborty highlighted the extreme stress faced by BLOs, blaming the Election Commission's "unplanned haste." He revealed a tragic human cost, stating, "Four BLOs have already died in the state, with two deaths reportedly by suicide. This is not politics; it is a humanitarian collapse."
Chakraborty also condemned the BJP for allegedly trying to communalise the SIR exercise. "The BJP's attempt to make the SIR exercise communal by invoking 'Bangladeshi Muslims' is irresponsible and dangerous," he said, adding that the BLOs' protest stemmed from genuine desperation.
In a separate development, a delegation from the Bengal Congress met special observer for roll revision, Subrata Gupta. They submitted a memorandum accusing both the BJP and TMC of hypocrisy concerning the citizenship of the Matua community. The Congress asserted that the Matuas are Indian citizens and vowed to protect their voting rights.
The events in Kolkata underscore the intense political friction and administrative challenges surrounding the crucial electoral roll revision process in West Bengal, setting the stage for further confrontations.
