Archive · 13 Dec 2025
BLOs Protest EC Deadline in Kolkata
Some workers called BLOs who help with elections in West Bengal were very upset.
They protested outside their boss's office in Kolkata.
They wanted to know why the Election Commission didn't give them more time to finish their work, even though other states got more time.
The workers said they were very stressed and tired.
Some even got sick or died while doing their jobs.
They also said they didn't get any help or money if they got sick.
The governor of West Bengal said the government should make sure these workers are safe and have what they need to do their jobs.
The Election Commission also released data about how many people were removed from the voter list in different areas, with some areas having more removals than others.
BLOs protested outside the CEO's office in Kolkata, questioning the EC's refusal to extend the SIR deadline for West Bengal.
The protest followed new EC guidelines issued after the December 11 deadline for filling up enumeration forms had already passed.
BLOs claimed the SIR workload had caused them tremendous mental and physical pressure, with reports of multiple deaths and illnesses.
Protesters argued that the EC was denying basic support and compensation for BLOs who fell ill or died during SIR duty.
West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose urged the state government to ensure the safety and protection of BLOs during the SIR process.
- Who
- Booth-level officers (BLOs) in West Bengal
- What
- Protested outside the Chief Electoral Officer's office in Kolkata
- When
- Friday, December 12, after the SIR deadline ended on December 11
- Where
- Kolkata, West Bengal
- Why
- To question the EC's decision to deny a deadline extension for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and to highlight their grievances regarding workload, deadlines, and medical safeguards
BLOs
Election Commission
Deadline Extension
BLOs
BLOs demand deadline extension for SIR, citing excessive workload and mental/physical pressure.
Election Commission
EC refused to extend the deadline, despite granting extensions to other states.
Compensation for Illness/Death
BLOs
BLOs demand compensation for illness or death during duty, as the state provides for election duty-related casualties.
Election Commission
EC has not announced any compensation for BLOs who fall ill or die during SIR duty.
- Location
- Kolkata, West Bengal
- Protesters
- Booth-level officers (BLOs)
- Issue
- EC's refusal to extend SIR deadline and lack of compensation
- Deadline
- December 11
- Governor's Action
- Urged state government to ensure BLO safety
- Highest Deletions
- Kolkata Port (63,730), Bhabanipur (44,787), Tollygunge (35,309)
- Total Deletions
- 58 lakh names
Sources
BLOs in Bengal protest outside CEO office in Kolkata, question EC’s decision to deny SIR deadline extension
EC releases constituency-wise data on electoral roll deletions in Bengal
Bengal BLOs stage protest outside CEO office, demand to know why SIR phase-1 deadline not extended
ECI Appoints Special Observers For Electoral Roll Revision in 8 States
We’ll remove all Bangladeshi infiltrators from state: Suvendu
EC’s SIR data shows 58 lakh deletions across Bengal, Bhowanipore records four times more removals than Nandigram
Mamata’s Bhabanipur logs nearly 4x more voter deletions than Suvendu’s Nandigram, says EC data
Mamata's Bhabanipur sees high voter deletions, surpasses Nandigram
Age gap with parents less than 15 years, mismatched father’s name: SIR first phase flags major inconsistencies in Bengal voter list
