BJP team meets EC over SIR in Bengal, says BLOs facing political coercion

The delegation also requested the poll panel to assure the Matua community memb­ers and those of other “Hindu groups” including Buddhists and Jains that their names will be included in the voters lists during the ongoing SIR.

It highlighted “sensitive de­mographic profile, high migration patterns, and recurring concerns relating to duplicate and ineligible voters, citing field observations and public feedback”.

The delegation sought removal of names of deceased voters from the rolls, while alleging ‘ghost entries’ and migration of voters to specific constituencies “with an intent to manipulate the outcome of elections”.

“Illegal infiltration from Bangladesh remains a longstanding concern… These infiltrators are believed to have obtained fraudulent documents through local networks… Their continued presence on the electoral rolls severely compromises the sanctity of the voting process, necessitating strict verification protocols,” the delegation is said to have submitted.

It also flagged the “extreme pressure” under which BLOs were operating. “BLOs have been functioning under extreme pressure. Their mandated honorarium of Rs 18,000 has reportedly been withheld… political coercion, rather than SIR workload, is their primary difficulty,” the delegation submitted.

The delegation brought to the notice of EC the fact that in West Bengal, the office of the CEO is “under the administrative control of the state Home Department” unlike other states where CEOs function independently. “This structural dependency compromises autonomy and operational neutra­lity… it is crucial to ensure independence urgently.”