Kolkata, Nov 5 – The Election Commission of India (ECI) has kicked off a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal. In the first wave of work, the main opposition parties – BJP and CPI(M) – are outpacing the ruling Trinamool Congress in hiring booth‑level agents (BLAs), according to data from the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO).
By 5 p.m. on Tuesday, the BJP had named 24,858 BLAs, while CPI(M) had added 18,706. Trinamool Congress lags behind, with 13,526 BLAs, and the Congress party trails further at just 5,797. All four parties together have appointed over 63,940 BLAs across the state – a mix of BLA‑1s (representatives for assembly constituencies) and BLA‑2s (representatives for individual polling booths).
The numbers are still low compared to the number of polling booths, a concern the ECI and the CEO have flagged. “A low BLA‑to‑BLO ratio will make it harder for booth agents (BLOs) to interact with party BLAs during the revision,” CEO Manoj Kumar Agarwal said at an all‑party meeting on Oct 28. He urged parties to add more BLAs to keep the SIR transparent and efficient. BLOs will maintain regular contact with BLAs from all recognised parties to cross‑check voter lists.
The SIR, the first in West Bengal since 2002, is expected to finish by March 2026. Why it matters? A thorough revision cleans up voter rolls, reduces fraud, and restores confidence in elections. For West Bengal, the speed and quantity of BLAs hired by each party will directly influence how smoothly the review goes. The ECI has expressed surprise at the low numbers of BLAs relative to the number of BLOs, and it is pressing parties to step up.
With major parties like BJP, CPI(M) and Trinamool Congress leading the charge, West Bengal’s electoral reform is underway. The upcoming months will see whether all four parties can supply enough BLAs to meet the commission’s standards and secure a fair, accurate electoral register for the next election.
Source: ianslive
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