TMC pressuring BLOs to include incorrect voters: BJP
The Statesman | 22 November 2025
As the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls enters a crucial phase in West Bengal, a political storm has erupted with the state BJP accusing the ruling Trinamul Congress of manipulating the process, even as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee blamed the Election Commission of India (ECI) for imposing “inhuman pressure” on Booth Level Officers (BLOs) following the suicide of a poll worker in Jalpaiguri.
Addressing reporters on Friday, state BJP president Samik Bhattacharya alleged that the TMC was “pressuring BLOs to upload incorrect documents and voters”, claiming the ruling party was seeking to shield illegal immigrants ahead of next year’s Lok Sabha polls.“Our stance is clear – detect, delete and deport. But Mamata Banerjee says if someone has slipped through, so what, their name should remain on the voter list. She wants the names of Rohingya and Bangladeshi infiltrators to stay. This is their agenda,” Bhattacharya said. He added that while the SIR exercise was being conducted in 12 states, “only Bengal is seeing such commotion”, which he attributed to alleged interference by the ruling party. The BJP leader also attacked the Chief Minister for “changing her position” on the revision drive.
“Earlier she said nothing would come out of SIR. Now, she is saying she won’t let the revision happen at all. Why is she afraid?” he asked. His comments came a day after the Chief Minister reacted sharply to the death of Shanti Muni Ekka, a BLO from Mal in Jalpaiguri district, who died by suicide reportedly unable to cope with the workload associated with the SIR exercise.
She accused the ECI of compressing a process that earlier took three years into just two months “to please political masters”, and urged the Commission to “act with conscience” and halt the drive. While the ECI has not responded to her allegations, officials have maintained that the SIR exercise is being conducted as per standard national guidelines. Meanwhile, employees’ unions have demanded additional staff support and mental-health safeguards for BLOs deployed across the state.