Border villagers flee as electoral roll revision begins in Cooch Behar
The Statesman | 5 November 2025
With the launch of the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, booth level officers (BLOs) across North Bengal have begun visiting households to distribute enumeration forms. However, the process has sparked a series of unusual and politically charged incidents in different parts of the region.
In a village under the Mekhliganj block of Cooch Behar district, located close to the unfenced Indo-Bangladesh border where only a river separates the two countries, several families have reportedly fled their homes as BLOs began their door-to-door visits.
According to local residents, the families belonged to minority communities living on both sides of the border and were known to move frequently between the two countries. They allegedly held voter cards in India, often obtained with the help of local residents by producing false parentage. Fearing scrutiny during the SIR, these families are believed to have left their Indian homes temporarily to avoid controversy and conceal their identities.
Meanwhile, a separate development in Mathabhanga block of Cooch Behar district saw hundreds of residents taking to the streets on Tuesday, blocking roads in protest against discrepancies in the electoral rolls. The protesters alleged that around 426 names were missing from the 2002 voter list and demanded their inclusion in the current revision process.
Claiming to be long-time residents and regular voters before and after 2002, they urged the administration to rectify the omissions. The agitation was later withdrawn after officials assured them that their concerns would be addressed.
Across North Bengal, political parties have become actively involved in the SIR process. Trinamul Congress (TMC) leaders and Booth Level Agents (BLAs) were seen accompanying BLOs during house visits in several areas. In Siliguri, TMC leaders held a press conference outlining their campaign to assist voters during the revision exercise.
Siliguri Mayor Goutam Deb informed reporters that his party had trained BLAs to monitor the process closely at the booth level. Similarly, BJP MLA Dr. Sankar Ghosh has set up a Help Desk at Deshbandhu Para on Tuesday to guide voters and party workers, including those who have migrated from neighbouring countries and are seeking to regularise their citizenship status under the CAA.
Political activity has been particularly intense in Cooch Behar, where TMC BLAs appear more active than their BJP counterparts in rural areas. The Left parties, too, have opened Help Desks in their traditional strongholds in Malda.
Recently, Cooch Behar MP Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia warned that no one would act as BLA for the BJP, urging TMC workers to keep a close watch on those representing the saffron party at the booth level.
In contrast, BJP supporters in the Dooars region, where the party enjoys a strong base, held processions in support of the SIR, accusing TMC leaders of spreading misinformation and misleading voters about the revision process.
The ongoing SIR exercise has thus not only reignited political rivalry but also exposed deep-seated concerns about identity, citizenship, and electoral credibility in the sensitive border districts of North Bengal.