Trinamul Congress has begun its ambitious voter verification exercise today, with BLA-2 representatives beginning door-to-door visits across West Bengal. The initiative operates through the newly-deployed Didir Doot app, which went live Wednesday.
The verification drive was preceded by district-wise press conferences conducted by district presidents and MLAs to explain the campaign’s objectives.
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The verification campaign aims to identify and remove “ghost voters” from electoral rolls—a concern first highlighted by TMC chairperson Mamata Banerjee during her 27 February address at Kolkata’s Netaji Indoor Stadium.
As morning fog lifted over rural Bengal on Thursday, BLA-2 workers could be seen navigating narrow lanes with smartphones in hand, speaking with residents, who often welcomed them with curious expressions and cups of tea. The comprehensive drive slated to cover more than 80,000 booths throughout the state was operational in 26 organisational districts on Day 1.
The specially designed app enables real-time verification with geo-tagging capabilities, allowing ground workers to submit seamless reports and updates. BLA-2 personnel are updating existing voter lists based on findings from their door-to-door surveys, with training for this process already conducted across several districts.
The verification effort is expected to continue until next year’s state elections, following TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee’s directive that voter list revision should be ongoing throughout the year. During a virtual meeting on 15 March, Banerjee referenced developments in Maharashtra and Delhi, where fake voters were added shortly before Assembly elections.
Beyond its data collection function, the Didir Doot app features Reddit-like interactive capabilities, enabling users to connect over a dashboard. It also allows users to share updates, photos, and videos related to the verification process and party activities.