Swapan Mondal, a booth‑level officer (BLO) and general secretary of the Votekormi Oikyo Mancha, told on Sunday that election workers in many parts of West Bengal are under constant threat from supporters of the Trinamool Congress (TMC).
He said the State Intensive Revision (SIR) process will start soon and that most voter‑mapping work is already finished by BLOs. However, during field visits, he alleges, BLOs were threatened and even offered bribes by people linked to the TMC. These supporters allegedly pushed BLOs to add illegally acquired voter names to the rolls.
“We have already raised these concerns with the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) and the Additional CEO. We are demanding security, including the deployment of paramilitary forces, so that BLOs can work without fear,” Mondal told .
Mondal also criticized the TMC’s recent victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He argued that Abhishek Banerjee’s win from the Diamond Harbour seat did not reflect a fair mandate. He claimed that on polling day voters were blocked from reaching polling booths and that those who tried to vote were pushed back by groups linked to Abhishek’s supporters, often called “Abhishek Vahini.”
The BLOs say they are not involved in the actual voting process. Still, they say polling staff were silenced and voters were terrorized, leading to a “manufactured” margin of victory that hurt opposition votes. Mondal named a man called Jahangir as a key figure in these coercive tactics.
Although Mondal has provided a list of 20‑25 alleged “anti‑national” elements to election authorities, no arrests have taken place. He claims that paramilitary forces on the ground remained silent spectators, and that former chief electoral officer Ariz Aftab was informed repeatedly but did nothing.
“Democracy feels meaningless now,” Mondal said. “The Election Commission of India must step in to ensure a truly free and fair environment so that democracy can finally prevail.”
Source: ianslive
Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in world News on Latest NewsX. Follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter(X), Gettr and subscribe our Youtube Channel.
