Tensions flared in Kolkata on Monday as a delegation of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators, led by Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, visited the office of the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO). Their visit was met with loud protests from Booth Level Officers (BLOs) who have been staging a sit-in demonstration outside the office since last Wednesday.
Roots of the BLO Protest
The protesting BLOs have put forth two primary demands. Firstly, they are seeking financial compensation for the families of fellow BLOs who have died during election-related duties. Secondly, they are urging the Election Commission of India (ECI) to postpone the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the state's electoral rolls by a period of two months. They argue that the current timeline is impractical and is causing severe disruption, especially for teachers who are deployed as BLOs.
Confrontation and Political Undertones
As the BJP MLAs, including Suvendu Adhikari, Shishir Bajoria, and MLA Shankar Ghosh, arrived at the CEO's office, the situation escalated. The protesting BLOs raised slogans against the visiting delegation. In response, the BJP members began counter-sloganeering. Trinamool Congress (TMC) members present at the site voiced their support for the agitating BLOs.
Police swiftly set up barricades on the road in front of the office to prevent any untoward incident and tried to stop the BLOs from approaching the politicians. Despite these efforts, a heated altercation broke out involving the BLOs, police personnel, and the BJP MLAs. After nearly 20 minutes of commotion, the police managed to create a safe passage for the BJP delegation to enter the building to meet special SIR observer, retired IAS officer Subrata Gupta.
Voices from the Protest
Speaking to the media, the protesting BLOs elaborated on their grievances. A BLO questioned the lack of support for bereaved families, asking, "What will happen to the families of those who lost their lives? Compensation should be paid to them." A headmistress among the protesters highlighted the operational crisis in schools, stating, "The work is being done by removing teachers from schools. How will the schools run? They are working without any plan."
Another teacher-protestor criticized the process, saying, "I have joined the protest against the BJP's torture using the Election Commission as a tool. The time has been extended for seven days. It is not possible to complete the work of two years in two months like this. I have come here seeking to extend the time by two months."
BJP's Stance and Meetings
Upon entering the CEO's office, Suvendu Adhikari made a strong political statement. He declared, "We will eliminate ghost voters from the electoral list. We will turn the current chief minister (Mamata Banerjee) into the state's former chief minister." The BJP delegation subsequently held meetings with CEO Manoj Agarwal and Additional CEO Dibyendu Das. A three-member team from the party was also scheduled to meet the special observer, Subrata Gupta.
The SIR exercise, which began under the supervision of ECI-deputed special observers last Saturday, aims to thoroughly revise the voter lists. CEO Manoj Agarwal had recently convened a meeting with newly appointed officers to oversee the process. The ongoing protest and political clash, however, have cast a shadow over the revision work, highlighting the administrative and political challenges involved in preparing for future elections in the state.
