Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee personally receives enumeration form amidst SIR row in state

Kolkata, Nov 5 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday personally received her enumeration form from a booth-level officer (BLO) at her Kalighat residence, a day after leading a protest march questioning the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, a source said.

The BLO in charge of booth No. 77 under Bhabanipur Assembly constituency, Amit Kumar Roy, arrived at Banerjee’s residence on Harish Chatterjee Street around 10:30 am, the source said.

Roy, who is attached to Mitra Institution, was stopped by on-duty police officers as he entered the lane, the source said.

Asked about his purpose, he identified himself and explained that he was delivering the "enumeration form" to a voter at 30B, Harish Chatterjee Street, Banerjee's residential address.

" A policemen initially informed him that he would not be allowed inside due to security restrictions and asked him to hand over the form to them instead," the official told PTI.

Roy refused to hand over the forms and cited EC rules stipulating that the papers can only be handed directly to the voter listed in the rolls.

Following a brief exchange, senior police officials consulted security personnel inside the residence and permitted Roy to enter, but only after leaving his bag and mobile phone with the officers on duty outside, he said.

"Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee came out of her room to meet the BLO and received the form directly from him. Roy informed her that once the form was filled out, her office could notify him to collect it," the official said, adding that Banerjee assured that her office would make the necessary call once the form was ready.

Contacted, a senior official at the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) confirmed that the enumeration form had been officially delivered to the Chief Minister's residence on Wednesday. PTI SCH MNB