Another round of camps for new voters, corrections set to start in state
Times of India | 31 December 2025
Kolkata: The process to register new voters and rectify mistakes in the old voters' rolls is set to start offline in Bengal.
All BLOs will be available in the polling booths immediately to facilitate the submission of forms for the inclusion of names in the voter list, as well as claims and objections, and for shifting residence or correction of entries in the existing roll, the EC said. The BLOs will sit in their respective polling stations for two hours on any three weekdays and for at least four hours on holidays till Jan 15, 2026, the last date to receive claims and objections in the SIR exercise of Bengal.
Issuing an instruction to all district election officers (DEOs), Dibyendu Das, additional chief electoral officer, West Bengal, said, "I am directed to inform that, in view of the ongoing claims and objections period for SIR, 2026, in order to facilitate the submission of Form 6, 7 and 8, the BLOs are to be directed to be available in the booth for two hours on any three weekdays and for at least four hours on holidays so that the electors can submit Form 6, 7 and 8 to the BLOs."
Every year, during summary roll revision, the BLOs sit in the polling stations to distribute and collect forms 6, 7 and 8, and the same process will now be followed in the SIR, too.
All 80,681 BLOs are now being engaged in the hearing process as they also remain present during the hearing along with AEROs, micro-observers and voters. According to the schedule, the hearing phase will continue till Feb 7.
Keeping in mind the hearing, the instruction stated: "The timings (at the booths) can be adjusted in consultation with the ERO and AEROs so that the process of hearings is not disrupted, and the timing is to be widely publicised for the convenience of the willing applicants and officials concerned."
Earlier, the DEOs, on behalf of the EC, wrote to the heads of the offices and institutions, including schools and colleges which house polling stations, to spare one room for the BLO for SIR work.
"Our booth level officer will sit on your premises from 16.12.2025 to 15.01.2026 for receiving claims and objections. As such, one room with chairs, tables and benches will be required during this period for all days (including Saturdays and Sundays) as mentioned above. I would, therefore, request you to kindly extend your cooperation in sparing one room with chairs, tables and benches in your institution from 16.12.2025 to 15.01.2026, including Saturdays and Sundays, for smooth implementation of the programme," the letter said.
When asked whether these booth level camps would disrupt the learning process and examination schedule in the schools and colleges, a senior EC official said, "We need only one room and the BLOs can sit there after school and college hours. So, we don't apprehend any problem."