BJP alleges voter digitization anomalies as BLO protests rock CEO office in Kol
Times of India | 2 December 2025
Kolkata: A massive protest erupted outside the office of the Bengal CEO (chief electoral officer) on Monday as leader of opposition Suvendu Adhikari and other BJP MLAs came to meet Election Commission officials in the afternoon.
While the delegation was inside the CEO's office, members of the BLO Adhikar Raksha Committee raised anti-BJP slogans and tried to breach the barricades erected by the police. They also shouted ‘Go Back' slogans directed at Adhikari. The protesting BLOs were seeking a two-month extension to the SIR (special intensive revision) deadline, and compensation to the families of BLOs who had died due to work pressure. With these demands, the BLOs wanted to submit a memorandum to the CEO's office. Meanwhile, BJP workers also gathered in front of the CEO's office and raised counter-slogans.
Adhikari's meeting with CEO Manoj Agarwal, however, went ahead. With the SIR exercise in Bengal entering its last lap, the BJP complained of ‘grave irregularities' in the digitisation of enumeration forms. Adhikari submitted a four-point charter of demands regarding this.
Adhikari said that between Oct 26 and Oct 28, digitisation figures jumped from 5.5 crore to 6.75 crore, which he described as an ‘abnormal and statistically impossible jump'. "This surge was achieved not by BLOs, but IPAC, known to be very close to the TMC, illegally performing digitisation tasks," he alleged. He demanded an audit of the digitisation process for these dates.
CEO Agarwal said, "I have no proof. He might have proof, but I can't comment on this." Claiming that SDO-level officers have been appointed as EROs (electoral registration officers) across the country, Adhikari asked the CEO: "Why was a land officer appointed as ERO in this state? You cannot do this. Only an officer of the SDO rank should be appointed as ERO."
Adhikari also alleged that the names of deceased voters were not being systematically deleted. "We demand an urgent, district-wise special drive under the CEO's supervision to ensure immediate deletion of all dead voters," he said.
The TMC, meanwhile, accused the BJP of "manufacturing conspiracy theories" while ignoring the stress under which BLOs are working. Senior TMC spokesperson Arup Chakraborty said that BLOs were being pushed beyond endurance due to the EC's "unplanned haste". "Four BLOs have already died in the state, with two deaths reportedly by suicide. This is not politics; it is a humanitarian collapse. The BJP's attempt to make the SIR exercise communal by invoking ‘Bangladeshi Muslims' is irresponsible and dangerous," he said, adding, "If the EC can write to the police about security breaches, it must also explain why BLOs are dying in the line of duty. Their protest is not a script; it is desperation."
Meanwhile, a Bengal Congress delegation met special observer (roll revision) Subrata Gupta and handed him a memorandum. Accusing the BJP and TMC of being hypocritical over the citizenship of the Matuas, the delegation stated that the Matuas were citizens of India and that the Congress would not tolerate any adverse steps regarding their citizenship and voting rights.