SIR: EC amended rules for appointing booth agents to help BJP, alleges TMC

Kolkata, Nov 12 (PTI) The ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal on Wednesday accused the Election Commission of amending the rules of appointing booth level agents (BLA) amid the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) to help the opposition BJP which "lacks workers at ground levels" While the SIR is already on and the door-to-door revision of voters slated to continue for a month, the rule was suddenly modified to suit the BJP's interests, senior TMC MP and lawyer Kalyan Bandyopadhyay said at a press conference.

"Many of our workers are engaged in SIR work, but we have observed that the BJP doesn't seem to have any worker active in the field. The CPI(M) still has a few, but their presence is negligible. Meanwhile, on November 11, the criteria for BLA appointment were modified," he said.

Earlier, the rule was that the BLA had to be from the same booth so that they could assist the officers properly, the TMC MP said.

"In the amended rule, a BLA can be appointed not only from the booth where the revision work is taking place, but also from any neighbouring booth within the same Assembly constituency. This has been done to help the BJP," he claimed.

Bandyopadhyay also wondered how, within a few minutes of the EC notifying the new order, the BJP could come up with a response, and hinted at a nexus between the BJP and EC.

"Within 2-3 minutes of the new order being passed, Suvendu Adhikari posted it on his X handle, welcoming the order. That clearly proves how this was pre-decided. The status of the ECI has fallen so low that it now acts on what Suvendu Adhikari says. The ECI is totally biased," the Srerampore MP said.

The TMC has BLAs because the party has grassroot-level support and it was the same case when the party was in the opposition, he said, claiming that the BJP does not have any worker at that level.

"The dignity of the EC is being destroyed in this manner; it is a shame for India. This continuous favouring of the BJP is dangerous," he said.

Bandyopadhyay said the day before, there was a hearing in the Supreme Court on the SIR in which TMC MPs Dola Sen and Derek O'Brien had filed petitions.

"The Supreme Court has notified that it will hear the matter in two weeks," he said.

Flagging another point to be raised in the Supreme Court, the TMC leader said it is regarding the base year of the electoral roll used for the SIR.

"The process is based on the 2002 roll, but West Bengal underwent delimitation in 2009, and a new voter roll was introduced. Where delimitation has taken place, the rule clearly states that after delimitation, the roll must be revised, and no earlier rolls should be considered. So, in that case, the 2002 roll cannot be used as a base," he said.

The MP wondered whether, despite being a voter since 1977-78, he has to become a voter all over again in 2024-25 by filling up the enumeration form.

"If I don't fill up the new enumeration form, will my name be removed from the voter list? Then I'll have to become a new voter again? But if my name already exists in the voter list, I have the right to vote. Taking away that right is unconstitutional," he stressed. PTI SUS NN