The Election Commission directs Kolkata Police to enhance security after Booth Level Officers (BLOs) breached the West Bengal CEO’s office. The incident stems from the controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) workload and rising electoral tension.
West Bengal BLO Protest Security Breach ECI Report
The already volatile political climate in West Bengal, intensified by the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, has escalated into a major institutional crisis. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued a strongly worded directive to the Kolkata Police Commissioner, demanding an immediate Action Taken Report (ATR) within 48 hours following what it officially deemed a “serious security breach” at the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO). The incident was triggered by a protracted and aggressive demonstration staged by aggrieved Booth Level Officers (BLOs).
The breach occurred when a large number of BLOs, protesting under the banner of the BLO Adhikar Raksha Committee, gathered outside the CEO’s office in Kolkata. The agitation was fueled by claims of “inhumane stress” and an “unmanageable workload” resulting from the SIR exercise, a process that typically spans two years but is being compressed into two months ahead of the forthcoming elections. The protesters, some carrying locks to symbolically blockade the building, attempted to forcibly enter the premises, leading to a visible scuffle with police personnel and a successful breach of the main entrance barricades.
