Kolkata / New Delhi — The political tension in West Bengal has escalated sharply as the Election Commission of India issued a strong rebuttal to the Trinamool Congress’s allegations about the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The Commission has also cautioned the party against influencing or threatening Booth Level Officers (BLOs), warning that impartiality of the process must be preserved.
📌 What’s the issue
- The TMC had accused the SIR process of causing “mass deletions,” irregularities and even claimed that several BLOs died while executing the exercise.
- On Friday, during a meeting with a 10-member TMC delegation, the ECI delivered a point-by-point rebuttal of “all baseless allegations,” calling them unsubstantiated and politically motivated. mint
- The Commission insisted that the draft electoral rolls will be published on 9 December, and until then no claims or objections should be filed. It asked all parties to wait and see the actual draft before levelling any charges.
🛡️ What did the ECI do
- ECI directed that the process must remain free from any external pressure: TMC and its workers were explicitly told not to influence or threaten BLOs, Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) or District Election Officers (DEOs).
- To ensure impartiality, the Commission has appointed a special roll observer for Bengal and asked state police (via DGP and Kolkata Police Commissioner) to provide full security to election personnel and to safeguard the electoral process.
- ECI also instructed DEOs to setup new polling stations in densely populated areas — slums, high-rises, gated colonies — following national guidelines, to ensure accessibility and avoid disenfranchisement.
- In response to alleged security breaches at the local Chief Electoral Officer’s office, the Commission ordered its relocation to a more secure facility, with Kolkata Police tasked to guard the premises.
🔥 Why this matters — the bigger picture
The SIR in Bengal is meant to update and clean up electoral rolls ahead of future elections — a standard practice under the Representation of the People Act, managed by ECI.
But the process has become a flashpoint: TMC’s charges, including alleged deaths of BLOs and mass voter deletions, have stirred fears among political workers and voters about disenfranchisement and bias. For ECI, the stakes are high — its reputation for neutrality and fairness during electoral exercises is being tested.
If the allegations are unfounded, the Commission’s decision to publicly counter them and protect field officers becomes crucial for institutional integrity. If there are lapses, transparency demands proper scrutiny. For citizens, what is at stake is trust in the electoral process and assurance that every eligible voter retains their democratic right.
🧮 What to watch next
- Publication of draft electoral rolls on 9 December: Will the discrepancies alleged by TMC show up? That publication may decide the course of further conflict.
- Reports from special roll observers: Their findings will indicate whether the process was free from undue influence or pressure.
- Security for BLOs & election staff: Whether police directives are enforced to guarantee safety of officers in the field.
- TMC’s next move: Whether the party accepts the ECI’s directives or escalates the issue politically or legally.
