West Bengal BLOs continue protest despite 99% EF digitisation, demand 2-month extension

Kolkata: With West Bengal completing 99.24% Enumeration Form (EF) digitization and ranking fourth among the 12 states till 3PM today, where phase-II SIR is underway, the Trinamool-backed BLOs, under the banner ‘BLO Adhikar Raksha Committee’, claimed on Sunday they will continue protests, demanding further extension of deadline for two months, and seeking glitch-free BLO app, even after ECI extended SIR timeline by 7 days.

The Committee said they have received “partial success” and “moral victory” as the ECI has realized the need for date extension, following their protests.

“We want the app to be glitch free and the total system should be error free. There must be at least an extension of two months,” another BLO, from the Committee said.


Another protesting BLO said, “Seven days’ extension means nothing to us. The ECI started SIR in an unplanned way.” The protest started on November 24. Yesterday, a section of BLOs blocked the road in front of the CEO's vehicle.

Another body ‘BLO O Vote Karmi Aikya Mancha’ general secretary Swapan Mandal, welcomed the extension and said, “The teachers will have to conduct examinations in schools and upload results in coming months. Some voters have taken the EFs in the beginning but have not returned. We urge them to return, so we can complete digitization.”

Slamming ECI, Trinamool MP Partha Bhowmik said, “Any work needs planning. An important body like ECI, with no planning forcefully imposed SIR. A proper SIR would take two years. The BLOs should have been given proper training and the BLO app should have been glitch-free.”

Trinamool Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya said, "Our leader Abhishek Banerjee has raised five important questions but remained unanswered", adding the “ECI will have to apologize to people.”

With around 37 lakh digitization to be completed in Bengal, West Bengal has completed 7.29 crore digitization of Enumeration Forms, wherein, the total population of the state is 7.66 crore. Lakshadeep has completed 100% digitization. Two states, Goa and Rajasthan, stand ahead of Bengal. Till date, 7.65 crore EFs have been distributed, which is 99.89% till 3PM today.

Special Rolls Observer visits South 24 Parganas

Receiving several complaints about an alleged voter surge in South 24 Parganas district's Falta between 2021 and 2024, the newly appointed Special Rolls Officer Subrata Gupta visited Falta today.

Gupta was appointed as Special Rolls Observer Subrata Gupta on Friday. Gupta with South 24 Parganas observer C Murugan held meetings with various BLOs and other officials at the BDO office and interacted with the BLOs, BDO and political party representatives in Falta.

After the meeting, Gupta, admitting that they have received complaints, said, “Our main aim is accurate rolls. We will look into issues raised by the BLOs which are procedural rules related. We will give additional guidelines, if needed. Representatives of four political parties were present and they said that they were satisfied.

“Main discussion was about the collection of Enumeration Forms,” a BLO said.

Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, said, “There are many irregularities in Falta, Magrahat, Diamond Harbour and other places. Some BDOs are getting influenced by Trinamool.”