‘Don’t threaten BLOs’: Election Commission refutes TMC’s claims, appoints special role observer for Bengal SIR | india news

Last updated:November 28, 2025, 20:21 IST

ECI vs Mamata on Bengal SIR: While sources said the ECI gave a point-by-point rebuttal of all the allegations to the 10-member TMC delegation, Abhishek Banerjee termed it as “sheer lies”.

The war continues between Trinamool Congress (TMC) vs Election Commission of India (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Voter List The uproar intensified on Friday after the Election Commission’s meeting with the party delegation in West Bengal.

While sources said the ECI gave a point-by-point rebuttal of all the allegations made by the TMC to the 10-member party delegation, the TMC termed it as “sheer lies”.

ECI also appointed a special role observer for the state. ECI also asked the TMC delegation not to influence or threaten BLO Sources said that in respect of dead, transferred and duplicate voters.

Sources said the ECI requested the TMC delegation to give claims and objections after December 9, when the draft list will be shared with them.

Till then, they have been requested to refrain from interfering in the independent functioning of Booth Level Officers (BLOs), Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and District Election Officers (DEOs), who are state government employees deputed for election-related work.

Last week, Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee had expressed serious concern over the ongoing SIR in the state and urged the Election Commission to intervene. With persistent questions and allegations related to the deaths of booth level officers (BLOs), the ECI had agreed to meet a delegation of TMC.

Election Commission’s response: What sources say

The ECI told the TMC delegation that it is very strange that the enhanced honorarium approved by the election body has not yet been distributed by the state government. This work should be done without any delay.

Banerjee had written a letter questioning why they wanted to build booths inside buildings. ECI rejected the question. The election body also told the TMC delegation that Preparation of voter list Also, elections should be conducted as per the Constitution and electoral law and TMC should follow it.

Based on recent incidents related to security breach in the office of CEO WB, ECI has directed to shift the office to an appropriate security location. The ECI has also directed the Kolkata Police Commissioner to ensure complete security of the existing and new office of CEO WB.

ECI reminder

Election Commission Reminded the Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal of the earlier instructions directing him to complete the rationalization of polling stations by 4 December 2025 under Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

they are:

• All States and Union Territories were directed (through letter dated 22 September 2023) to conduct a detailed survey during the rationalization exercise to identify urban areas with group housing societies, high-rise buildings and slums and check the availability of suitable ground-floor rooms such as community halls or school rooms for use as polling stations.
• If adequate facilities exist in such residential complexes, efforts should be made to establish polling stations there, provided they meet the prescribed criteria. The same survey requirement also applies to rapidly growing urban and semi-urban areas.
• After identifying potential buildings, a senior officer nominated by the District Election Officer will have to conduct physical verification of each site to ensure that it is in good condition and meets the Assured Minimum Facilities (AMF) requirements.
• Once suitable buildings are confirmed, rationalization of existing polling stations for residents of these societies or slum clusters will have to follow the norm of maximum 1,200 voters per polling station.
• Any shifting or creation of polling stations will have to follow due procedure as per the Manual on Polling Stations 2020. Draft lists should be prepared in consultation with political parties before being sent for the Commission’s approval. District election officers have been instructed to ensure strict compliance with all instructions.

TMC, BJP’s reaction

TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee strongly refuted the ECI’s claims. “The Election Commission is deliberately engaging in selective leaks to claim that they have provided point-by-point refutation of the issues raised by the AITC delegation today. These claims are not just misleading, they are outright lies. If the Election Commission truly has nothing to hide and truly believes in transparency, then instead of hiding behind motivated leaks, it should immediately release the full CCTV footage and every piece of evidence it claims to have. Anything less than that only exposes their bad faith and raises serious questions about their intentions,” he said in a post on X.

“And I want to add this clearly: A few hours will always be too little, take as many days as you want to answer the five basic questions we put before you. We have enough digital evidence to prove how your story is being distorted through fabricated, fabricated leaks. So think twice before deciding to pick a fight with West Bengal and @AITCofficial,” he further wrote.

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and West Bengal LOP Suvendu Adhikari said, “The 10-member delegation had gone to hold the feet…Here in West Bengal, she (referring to CM Mamata Banerjee) gives big speeches and threatens Gyanesh Kumar, the Election Commission and the entire body of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC).”

ECI vs TMC

The ECI’s approval for the meeting came after a request submitted by TMC MP Derek O’Brien on November 23. voters, ensuring transparency, and resisting all efforts to distort or manipulate the electoral process.”

Sharing her previous letter on X addressed to CEC Gyanesh Kumar, Banerjee had described the SIR exercise as “unplanned, chaotic and dangerous”, highlighting gaps in training, lack of clarity on documentation and the impossibility of meeting voters amid her work schedule.

“Significant gaps in training, lack of clarity on mandatory documentation and near impossibility of meeting voters amid their livelihood program have made the exercise structurally unsound,” Banerjee alleged.

The Chief Minister had expressed serious concerns about the ongoing SIR, citing inadequate planning, inadequate training and unrealistic timelines, which are “compromising the credibility of the process”. CM Banerjee had highlighted the excessive workload and pressure on booth level officers (BLOs), who are struggling with online data entry, server problems and inadequate training, leading to the risk of inaccurate voter data.

The Chief Minister told that sir matches Since the agricultural season is at its peak, it becomes difficult for farmers and laborers to participate. “The human cost of this mismanagement is now unbearable. Yesterday, an Anganwadi worker working as a BLO in Mall, Jalpaiguri, died by suicide, allegedly due to SIR-related pressure. Many others have died since this process began. The amendment that used to take three years is now being forced into three months, putting BLOs and officials in terrible working conditions and creating fear and terror among the common people. Have to live in uncertainty,” he had said.

Banerjee had requested the ECI to intervene, stop the practice, provide support and re-evaluate the methodology and timelines to protect electoral integrity and the democratic framework.

with agency input

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