Violence at Goalpokhar BDO office during hearing, ECI orders probe
The Statesman | 16 January 2026
A day after the Block Development Office (BDO) at Farakka in Murshidabad was vandalised, an angry mob on Thursday attacked the Goalpokhar Block Development Office at Chakulia in North Dinajpur during a hearing related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
According to police sources, agitators first blocked the road leading to the BDO office and later turned violent, allegedly following instigation by a section of people. Government property, including office assets and vehicles, was vandalised, and damaged furniture was set on fire. Several police personnel who tried to control the situation sustained serious injuries.
The Election Commission of India has lodged an FIR in connection with the incident, and police have launched an investigation to identify those responsible for the violence and the alleged instigation behind it.
On Wednesday, a similar incident was reported from Farakka, where an unruly mob attacked the BDO office. The protest was allegedly led by Farakka TMC MLA Md. Manirul, who claimed that the Election Commission was planning to delete the names of voters belonging to the Muslim community from the electoral rolls.
Protesters in Chakulia echoed similar allegations, sources said. In Farakka, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) also expressed opposition to the ongoing SIR process and reportedly submitted applications seeking to step down from their duties.
Reacting to the incidents, state BJP president Samik Bhattacharya said the Election Commission of India must take the matter seriously to ensure that the SIR process is carried out “properly and flawlessly”.
“Without a correct and error-free voters’ list, free and fair elections cannot be conducted,” Bhattacharya said. He further alleged that officials at the block and sub-divisional levels were deliberately refusing to accept Form 7 (objection forms) under pressure. “Both officials and BLOs are being instructed not to accept Form 7,” he claimed.
Referring to Goalpokhar, Bhattacharya said the area has long been a hub of infiltration from a neighbouring country, which, he alleged, has altered the demographic profile of parts of West Bengal. “The TMC and the TMC-run state government want such names to remain on the voters’ list. That is the main reason behind the violence. A group backed by the TMC is trying to obstruct the SIR process,” he added.