Post change in BLA appointment, TMC alleges ‘BJP-EC nexus’

Kolkata: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Wednesday alleged that there is a nexus between the BJP and the Election Commission (EC) in modifying the Booth Level Agent (BLA) appointment rules. The party MP Kalyan Banerjee has accused the EC of favouring the BJP during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bengal. The earlier guidelines required BLAs to be registered electors from the specific electoral roll Part to which they were appointed. The new amendment permits BLA appointments from anywhere within the Assembly Constituency citing “unavailability”.

Banerjee alleged that the Commission changed the BLA appointment rules to please the BJP, which is, as he claimed, struggling to find agents from specific polling booths.

“The BJP doesn’t have workers on the ground. Since they couldn’t provide agents from the same booths, the ECI issued a new order to help them,” Banerjee alleged while addressing the media. The BJP lacks enough active field workers to participate fully in the process, unlike the TMC, Banerjee added.

TMC questioned why this exception applies only to BLAs when Booth Level Officers (BLO) still must belong to the same booth or polling station. It further alleged that the BJP, unable to find local agents, is exploiting the rule change to import outsiders and manipulate the electoral process. Banerjee claimed that the BJP failed to engage BLAs in 75 per cent booths.

“Earlier, a BLA had to be from the same booth to assist the officers properly. Now, the Commission has allowed BLAs to be appointed from neighbouring booths within the same Assembly constituency. This order clearly favours the BJP,” Banerjee added.

He stated that within minutes of the poll panel order being passed on November 11, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari posted it on his X handle, welcoming the decision. He also attacked the poll body for changing the rules midway. BJP MP Sukanta Majumdar, on the other hand, stated that EC has the right to make necessary amendments as there are no restrictions in appointing BLAs from anywhere within the Assembly Constituency.