Mathabhanga: Villagers protest against BLO over voter list ‘errors’

Cooch Behar: Tension gripped the Gayabari area under booth number 146 of Unishbisha Gram Panchayat in the Mathabhanga-2 block on Monday, as residents staged a protest against the Booth Level Officer (BLO), alleging major discrepancies in the voter list.

According to the protesters, several households with only three or four family members were shown as having six linked voters in the electoral rolls. Objecting to what they termed “incorrect and confusing entries,” the residents refused to accept hearing notices being distributed by the BLO and staged a protest in the village.

The incident occurred when the BLO visited Gayabari on Monday morning to serve hearing notices related to voter list verification. As he began distributing the notices, villagers gathered and questioned the authenticity of the data, leading to a brief protest.

Speaking to reporters, local resident Ashraful Hossain said, “There are only four members in my family, but the voter list shows six linked names. This is not just my problem—many families in the village are facing the same issue. That is why people protested.” Confirming the incident, BLO Sanjay Roy said he encountered resistance while carrying out his official duty. “The villagers told me that the number of voters shown against their households is incorrect. I informed them about the verification process and the deadline, which is January 24. It remains to be seen how the matter will be resolved if the notices are not accepted,” he said.