TMC-EC standoff set to intensify over barring BLAs in Bengal SIR hearings

The Election Commission’s (EC) decision to bar booth-level agents (BLAs) of political parties from attending hearings related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal is set to intensify its political confrontation with the state’s ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), while also raising concerns over the transparency of the electoral roll-revision process.

Signs of the escalation were evident in the acrimonious meeting between the two sides at the commission’s office on Wednesday (December 31), as well as in a series of frictions on the ground related to the issue.

Move threatens fairness, says Trinamool

The TMC has strongly opposed the decision, arguing that it undermines the fairness and openness of the hearings, an apprehension the EC has so far failed to allay with any logical explanation.

Also read: National hearing raises alarm over SIR as testimonies cite mass deletions, bias

“The Election Commission must not only be transparent in its functioning but must also be seen to be transparent, avoiding any decision that could render the process opaque or invite doubt. The presence of BLAs of various political parties would have made the hearing process more transparent,” said Ranjit Sur, general secretary of the Kolkata-based Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR).

Terming the commission’s decision “suspicious,” Sur questioned why it was excluding BLAs of registered political parties from attending hearings, arguing that such agents have traditionally been permitted to observe key stages of the electoral process, including inside polling booths and counting centres, and that the decision to bar them raises questions about transparency.

BLAs' absence leaves voters vulnerable, says APDR's Sur

Sur also argued that allowing the BLAs to be present during the hearings would have been of particular assistance to marginalised, poor, or less-educated voters, who are left to fend for themselves in a daunting atmosphere where they are required to establish their credentials before a group of officials.

Also read: Politically vocal but electorally outfoxed — what 2025 has been like for India's Opposition parties

Except for the booth-level officers (BLOs), whom a voter may have met once or twice, the officials conducting the hearings are largely strangers.

He added that such an atmosphere, combined with the pressure of having to prove one’s identity through official documents, can unnerve even many literate voters, underscoring the far greater stress it is likely to impose on the poor and uneducated citizens.

The BLAs are appointed by political parties to guide and assist citizens through the electoral process, wherever necessary.

The EC officials claim that the political agents are excluded from the hearing process to avoid overcrowding and preserve procedural integrity.

Only officials such as electoral registration officers (EROs), assistant EROs, BLOs and micro‑observers are allowed inside the hearing rooms.

Also read: TN SIR goof-ups: Dead live on; living marked dead and deleted

Taking strong exception to the EC’s decision, the TMC called for a written explanation for the exclusion order and warned of possible legal action.

“Without the assistance of BLAs and BLOs, ordinary citizens are facing significant difficulties in navigating the complex identity verification process,” one party MLA said, adding that the state “does not belong to the Election Commission”.

The party, however, has not limited itself to vocally opposing the decision.

Trinamool protests

In Hooghly district, local TMC MLA Asit Mazumdar disrupted proceedings at several centres, demanding that BLAs be permitted to assist voters and contest the exclusion of genuine electors.

Similar protests were reported at other hearing locations, leading to temporary suspensions of the process.

The standoff is all set to escalate further after TMC’s National General Secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee on Wednesday stated that the party would not comply with the commission’s directive, which he claimed was circulated via WhatsApp rather than through an official notification.

Also read: Former CEC SY Quraishi slams SIR: ‘Why scrap 99 pc accurate voter roll?’

Emerging from a meeting with EC officials, including Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, the Diamond Harbour MP stated that the party would not comply with the poll body’s directive, which he claimed was circulated via WhatsApp rather than through an official notification.

In a representation submitted to the commission, the TMC demanded that BLAs of all political parties be “compulsorily included” in the hearing process, stating that there is no “defensible” reason for their exclusion.

Abhishek Banerjee to hold street protests from Jan 2

From Friday (January 2) onwards, Banerjee will be on the streets, “standing shoulder to shoulder with the people, resisting attempts to undermine democratic participation and disenfranchise legitimate voters,” the TMC informed on Thursday (January 1).

“No injustice, no conspiracy, no intimidation has ever bent Bengal’s spine. In every battle to safeguard the rights and dignity of Bengal’s people, Shri @abhishekaitc has led from the front,” the party posted on its official X handle.

Also read: Abhishek Banerjee alleges vote theft through rolls, slams CEC Gyanesh Kumar

Meanwhile, the EC responded to the TMC’s verbal diatribes by cautioning that strict action would be taken against anyone attempting to intimidate the election staff.

With both sides digging in their heels, the SIR face-off is likely to intensify during this crucial and final phase of the electoral roll revision before the release of West Bengal’s new final voter list on February 14.