Citing inconsistencies in the statements of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the written instructions issued to the Booth Level Officers (BLOs) on the ground carrying out the special intensive revision in Bengal, the ruling Trinamool claimed “widespread confusion and operational paralysis” among the central poll panel’s foot-soldiers.
In a letter to the state Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal, state minister Aroop Biswas, one of the closest aides of chief minister Mamata Banerjee, cited that relations that are allowed to be mentioned on the enumeration forms that are being currently distributed by the BLOs in their door to door visits across the 294 Assembly seats in the state.
Biswas specifically mentioned that though CEC Kumar had mentioned Chacha (Uncle) implying that the mapping of voters with the 2002 SIR list can be done through extended family members, on the ground the BLOs have been instructed to restrict the “relative” category to parents and grandparents only. The same restrictions apply to the software being used by the BLOs during the spot verification.
According to the letter, the inconsistency has disrupted field operations, leaving BLOs unable to enter data for many genuine voters outside the parent-grandparent linkage.
The Trinamool has demanded that the Election Commission update its official manuals and software to reflect the CEC’s verbal clarification.
The Trinamool has been opposing the SIR since it was announced for Bihar in July. After the latest round of SIR being carried out in 12 states and Union territories including Bengal, the Trinamool described the exercise as “Silent Invisible Rigging” and a “backdoor NRC”.
The door-to-door verification of voter details started from 4 November and will continue for a month.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee led a protest rally in Kolkata on Tuesday the day the verification process started. The Trinamool general secretary Abhishek Banerjee earlier held a virtual meeting with nearly 15,000 party members to coordinate resistance. He warned of mass protests if any genuine voter’s name is deleted.
The party has also raised concerns over voter deletions from online rolls, alleged intimidation of BLOs, and claimed that fear of deletions has led to suicides.
CEC Gyanesh Kumar had maintained earlier that the SIR will proceed smoothly in West Bengal and that all states are constitutionally bound to cooperate with the Election Commission.
The final electoral rolls for Bengal on completion of the SIR will be published on 7 February next year after which the Assembly elections will be held.