Kolkata: Hundreds of booth-level officers (BLOs) and grassroots poll workers in West Bengal staged a massive protest outside the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) in Kolkata on Monday, intensifying the ongoing confrontation over working conditions and mental health concerns during the ongoing voter list revision exercise.
Visuals shared by ANI showed a large crowd of BLOs clashing with police personnel in riot gear, pushing against barricades and attempting to break through security cordons. The demonstration was organized by the BLO Adhikar Raksha Committee.
Protest Erupts Ahead of BJP Delegation’s Visit
The protest broke out shortly before BJP Leader of Opposition Suvendhu Adhikari and a group of party lawmakers arrived for a scheduled meeting with election authorities. Despite tightened security and police attempts to block access, protesters continued to push forward. Some were seen shouting “go back” slogans at the BJP leaders as they entered the premises.
The situation escalated further when BJP workers arrived at the site, triggering slogan exchanges between the two groups. The BJP has alleged that multiple BLO deaths across the country reflect the failure of state administrations—particularly the Trinamool Congress-led Bengal government—to provide adequate support and resources to poll workers.
BJP Targets State Government
After the meeting, Adhikari questioned why the West Bengal government opposed the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process while refusing to provide payments and assistance to BLOs. BJP state chief Samik Bhattacharya also demanded that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar personally review the conditions under which BLOs were working.
His comments came a day after the Election Commission wrote to the state police, asking for enhanced security for BLOs.
Trinamool Yet to Respond, But Strong Criticism Continues
The ruling Trinamool Congress has not officially commented on Monday’s protest so far. However, the party has repeatedly condemned the SIR exercise as “exclusionary,” alleging it is designed to remove Bengali voters from the rolls. The party has accused the EC of bias and even claimed Gyanesh Kumar has “blood on his hands” due to recent poll worker deaths.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has demanded that the EC immediately halt the revision exercise, calling the workload “inhuman” and alleging the Commission is intimidating ground-level workers. She said BLOs are being forced to “operate far beyond human limits.”
Rising Concerns After Multiple BLO Deaths
The protest comes amid a series of deaths among BLOs across several states, underscoring the toll of the re-verification drive. Workers have described extreme pressure, poor working conditions, and meagre honorariums — often as low as ₹1,000 per month — while being required to travel long distances and balance day jobs.
Recent reports include:
- A 46-year-old school teacher in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, who died by suicide, leaving behind a video apologising to his family.
- A BLO in Noida, Pinky Singh, who resigned after being assigned 1,179 voters in a colony 10 km away.
- Kerala: BLO Aneesh George died by suicide.
- Rajasthan: Hariom Bairwa died allegedly due to pressure from senior officials.
- Gujarat: Four school teachers died after reportedly being assigned “disproportionate and unbearable workloads.”
Political and Legal Battle Intensifies
The re-verification of Bengal’s voter lists ahead of the upcoming elections has ignited a fierce political and legal battle. The Trinamool, along with other opposition parties, has accused the EC and the BJP-led central government of attempting to manipulate voter rolls to secure electoral advantage.
Despite the chaos, BJP leaders were able to meet the CEO as scheduled. The Election Commission has not yet issued a formal statement on the day’s events.