HC allows TMC neta’s plea against EC’s BLA mandate
Times of India | 19 August 2025
Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Monday allowed a plea filed by former Trinamool MP Subhasish Chakraborty against the Election Commission mandate seeking identities and contacts of booth level agents (BLAs) nearly a year before the election.
Chakraborty, who had filed the plea in July, argued that the details "may be misused by political rivals or anti-social elements to intimidate party workers, especially in regions with high electoral tension.
" The HC said it would hear the matter but turned down the request for an urgent hearing.
"Our contention is that BLA is not there in the rules of the law as far as the Representation of the People Act is concerned. It is beyond the power of the EC. It infringes the secrecy and security of the booth level agents. The DMs, who are district-level election officers, are asking the political parties to submit the BLAs... In every polling booth, a polling agent is given only seven days prior to the elections as per the law, but now we are having to disclose it at least one year prior to elections," Chakraborty's counsel mentioned, stating it to be urgent as the EC on Sunday declared that there would be a special intensive revision (SIR) of poll rolls in the state.
"It's not just you... It's for all political parties," Justice Amrita Sinha remarked, refusing to upgrade the matter.
An EC directive had stated that political parties must disclose the names, mobile numbers, and provide passport-sized photographs of each BLA. The details are required to be submitted well in advance of any election notification for the purpose of facilitating the electoral roll revision and verification exercises.
It was also stressed that the use and storage of such data by state and central electoral authorities remain opaque, with no guidelines or standard operating procedures laid down to safeguard data from misuse, unauthorised disclosure, or cyber security breaches.