SIR in Bengal being held under intimidation, ECI must give security to BLOs, says BJP

Alleging that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal was being held under an atmosphere of “threat and intimidation”, the State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya said on Friday (November 28, 2025) that it was the responsibility of the Election Commission of India (ECI) to provide security to Booth Level Officers (BLOs) involved in the exercise.

“A situation which has been created in West Bengal by Trinamool Congress where State’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) here cannot work properly. Even the CEO is facing security concerns..,” he said.

Mr. Bhattacharya said that the situation in West Bengal is different from other states and Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar will have to take responsibility for the situation faced by BLOs in the State where the police and administration is not providing them any security.

“Gyanesh Kumar will have to come here ( in West Bengal). He will have to see under what situation are the BLOs working in the State. It is not enough to send representatives here. The situation in West Bengal is different from other states,” the BJP president said.

Mr. Bhattacharya said that BLOs are being forced to take instructions from Trinamool Congress and police is not taking any complaints by the BLOs of being threatened and intimidated. The BJP leader said that unlike other states West Bengal has a culture of political violence where 56 BJP workers were killed in post poll violence after 2021 Assembly polls and there is not a “constitutional crisis but the entire system has collapsed”.

“If the Chief Election Commissioner wants to control the situation by sitting in Delhi, then it will not work. He will have to come to West Bengal. He (CEC) will have to come out of his air conditioned chamber, he will have to visit Diamond Harbour, Kultali, Gosaba and Birbhum and see how the BLOs are working here,” he said.

The remarks by the West Bengal BJP president came on the day when a delegation of Trinamool Congress MPs met the Election Commission of India (ECI) officials in New Delhi. The Trinamool MPs raised the issue of death of BLOs in the State during the SIR process. There have been reports of death of three to four BLOs in the State alone.Sources in the party said that Trinamool will raise the issue of death of BLOs in the upcoming session of Parliament.

Mr. Bhattacharya, who is also a Rajya Sabha MP said BJP leaders will submit deputation to the ECI in December with the start of the winter session of the Parliament. The BJP leader also added that the BLOs who are indulging in irregularities will have to take responsibility and face the music because they are participating in a process (SIR) which is done by ECI- a very powerful constitutional body and even the Supreme Court does not want to interfere in its domain.

“This is not a question of a political party, not a question of BJP, Trinamool, CPI(M) or Congress, It is a question of the country, its internal security and how several welfare schemes of the government will be implemented,” he said. Mr. Bhattacharya said that the BJP’s stand as far as SIR is concerned remains clear, “detect, delete and deport”.