BLOs flag threats from pol parties at EC meet in Kolaghat
Times of India | 10 October 2025The BLOs expressed concerns about threats from political parties and EC officials assured them they would not face coercion. Agarwal emphasised adherence to EC guidelines, warning against illegal actions and ensure that no eligible voter's name is deleted.
Agarwal clarified that voter names cannot be randomly deleted, even if not linked to the 2002 SIR list, urging BLOs to conduct thorough investigations.
Security concerns were also raised, with past incidents of polling staff being attacked.
Bharti stated that law and order are the state's responsibility, with EC maintaining vigilance. EC officials instructed district officials to avoid appointing private individuals as BLOs and to ensure no significant discrepancies between the 2002 and 2025 electoral rolls.
The meeting at Kolaghat was conducted in two phases. The first involved discussions with DMs, ADMs, SPs, EROs, and AEROs, where it was decided that the special intensive revision (SIR) in Bengal would follow the Bihar model.
The second phase involved BLOs, who will conduct fieldwork. EC officials stated that polling would occur within three months after the SIR process, with Bengal assembly polls to be completed by May 10, 2026.
The SIR is set to start immediately and conclude by Dec 2025.
Concerns about disciplinary actions were raised, as EC had suspended EROs and AEROs in Moyna and East Bauripur. The CEO assured that adherence to rules would prevent punitive measures. BLOs will receive special training to manage the BLO app effectively. Officials were also cautioned about AI-generated synthetic videos, as fake videos targeting rivals had been identified in Bengal.
(With inputs from Falguni Banerjee)
