Abhishek urges TMC''s BLAs to assist ''unmapped'' voters during SIR hearings

Kolkata, Dec 28 (PTI) Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Sunday urged booth-level agents (BLAs) of the party to assist "unmapped" voters during their hearings under the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state.

He also appealed to party workers to continue the SIR assistance camps during the next one and a half months.

"Banerjee addressed 1.2 lakh BLAs across the state virtually and asked them to continue the SIR assistance camps for the common people whose names have not been mapped in the first phase of SIR and help them prepare for the hearings in the next six weeks," a TMC leader said.

The hearings under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls started in West Bengal on Saturday with 3,234 centres set up across the state for the purpose Around 32 lakh "unmapped" voters, those who are unable to establish linkage with the 2002 electoral roll, would be called for hearings in the first phase.

Addressing the BLAs, Banerjee said, "You have to give 100 per cent for the service of people. A large number of people are now facing problems over electoral rolls, the threat of deletion, and disenfranchisement. You (BLAs) have to rush to the side of genuine voters who face the threat of deletion and help them." Banerjee called for "man marking" of the booth-level officers (BLOs) during the SIR process.

The TMC MP also told the BLAs that he will be visiting Delhi on December 31 to meet the chief election commissioner to "seek a list of infiltrators" among the 58 lakh voters whose names were deleted post the publication of the draft electoral rolls and left "unmapped".

"The conspiracy seems to be far deeper. We have to be on guard," he said.

"As the people of Bengal are facing harassment and threats by various means, including arbitrarily changing rules of SIR exercise, it is our duty to assist them in every way," Banerjee said.

The TMC leader said a party delegation will visit the office of the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) on December 29 to protest against "harassment and hardship" of people during the hearings and submit the party's recommendations. PTI SUS BDC