Political Parties should appoint more BLAs now rather than complaining later: ECI Sources

New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has urged political parties to increase their appointment of Booth Level Agents (BLAs) for Bihar’s ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, emphasising that parties should act now rather than raise concerns later. According to ECI sources, the Special Intensive Revision in Bihar is proceeding smoothly as planned, strictly following orders issued on June 24, 2025. The Commission has dismissed any misinformation being circulated about the process. The massive exercise involves nearly one lakh trained Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and one lakh volunteers, coordinated by 243 Electoral Registration Officers, 38 District Election Officers, 9 Divisional Commissioners, and the Chief Electoral Officer of Bihar.

While national and state political parties registered and recognised by the ECI have already engaged more than 1.5 lakh Booth Level Agents across polling stations, sources indicate there is still time for parties to appoint additional BLAs. “They should appoint more BLAs now rather than complaining later,” ECI sources stated, highlighting the proactive approach parties should take in the democratic process. The Election Commission deferred a scheduled meeting with a multi-party delegation on Wednesday regarding the SIR process due to a lack of confirmation from participating political parties, according to sources. The meeting, initially scheduled by ECI for July 2 at 5 PM, was requested by the All India Congress Committee (AICC) via email on June 30. The AICC’s legal counsel had sought an urgent appointment on behalf of multiple political parties, representing himself as counsel for the multi-party delegation. Following standard procedure, the Commission contacted relevant political parties to confirm their participation. However, as of July 1, no confirmation had been received from any of the parties, leading to the meeting’s deferral. Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar emphasised that the main objective of the SIR initiative is to prevent any “illegible” voters while ensuring no eligible citizen is excluded from the voter list ahead of Bihar’s state assembly polls. “As per the Representation of the People Act, you are entitled to vote only in the Assembly constituency where you are an ordinary resident,” Kumar explained, citing an example that residents of Delhi who own property in Patna should be registered to vote in Delhi, not Patna. The SIR process aims to ensure comprehensive electoral rolls by including all eligible voters while excluding ineligible ones. More than one lakh volunteers have been deployed specifically to assist elderly citizens, sick individuals, persons with disabilities, and marginalised groups in completing their Enumeration Forms. Kumar reiterated that the objective is dual-focused: “to ensure that no eligible voter is left out, and at the same time, no ineligible voter is included in the Electoral Roll.”