Abhishek Banerjee Urges TMC: In a decisive move to tighten grassroots election monitoring, Abhishek Banerjee, the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) general secretary, has directed all booth-level officers (BLOs) of the party to actively “shadow” government-appointed Booth Level Officers throughout the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list in West Bengal. The initiative, aimed at preventing voter name deletions and ensuring transparency, marks one of the most extensive grassroots operations ever planned by the party ahead of the next Assembly elections.
The directive was issued during a state-wide virtual meeting attended by district presidents, block coordinators and booth-level organisers. Banerjee emphasised that each BLO must be “accompanied, observed and assisted” by a TMC Booth-Level Agent (BLA) during door-to-door verification and list updates. The party leadership framed this as a pro-democracy measure, asserting that no eligible voter should lose their right to vote due to clerical or intentional errors in the electoral roll.
“No BLO should be allowed to function unsupervised. Every voter’s name is sacred — and we will ensure it stays on the list,” Abhishek Banerjee declared during the meeting.
(Election Commission of India – Official Information on SIR)
Massive Ground-Level Mobilisation Planned Across Bengal
Under Banerjee’s guidance, the TMC has announced an extensive grassroots programme to coincide with the SIR drive being conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI). Between November 4 and December 4, 2025, the party will set up over 6,200 voter-assistance camps across Bengal’s urban and rural constituencies. These camps will provide free services like voter enrolment assistance, correction of details, and claims or objections filing.
Each of Bengal’s 294 Assembly constituencies will have a dedicated war-room, functioning as an information hub and grievance-redressal center. These will operate daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with trained volunteers managing data, verifying BLO visits, and relaying real-time reports to district-level coordinators.
The initiative underscores the TMC’s strategy of fusing political mobilisation with civic outreach — a move seen as both preventive and participatory.
(West Bengal CEO – Voter List Revision Details)
Abhishek Banerjee Urges TMC Booth-Level Oversight: “Shadow, Support, Safeguard”
According to the TMC’s internal framework, every BLA-1 (primary booth agent) will appoint a BLA-2, tasked with directly shadowing BLOs during fieldwork. Their roles include:
- Accompanying BLOs to every household during verification.
- Recording discrepancies and ensuring immediate correction requests are filed.
- Reporting daily activities to constituency war-rooms.
- Protecting the rights of voters whose names may be deleted without due cause.
Banerjee also announced a dedicated helpline (81426-81426) for citizens to register complaints related to voter deletion, misinformation or inaction by officials.
(National Voters’ Service Portal)
Protecting Voter Rights: “Silent Invisible Rigging” Allegations
During his address, Abhishek Banerjee accused the opposition and sections of the Election machinery of “silent invisible rigging” — referring to alleged systematic deletion of voters’ names from the rolls. He warned that if such actions continued, the TMC would mobilise one lakh citizens to protest outside the Election Commission headquarters in New Delhi.
The party’s position frames voter-roll vigilance as a constitutional duty rather than a political tactic. In Banerjee’s words, “Defending every citizen’s right to vote is the foundation of democracy. We are not interfering — we are safeguarding.”
(Constitution of India – Article 326 on Voting Rights)
Parallel Administrative Concerns
Meanwhile, the Booth Level Officers (BLOs) appointed by the Election Commission have voiced concerns about their security and the pressure of conducting door-to-door verification under high public and political attention.
State election authorities have reiterated that BLOs are public servants performing statutory duties and are expected to function independently, free from political interference.
However, Banerjee clarified that his party’s involvement is strictly “observational and supportive”, not obstructive. The TMC maintains that its volunteers will assist citizens in understanding the revision process, filling forms, and checking for discrepancies — ensuring no intimidation or disturbance occurs.
(Election Commission of India – Handbook for BLOs)
Significance in Bengal’s Political Landscape
The move reflects the increasing significance of booth-level management in Bengal’s political ecosystem. Since 2019, voter list accuracy has become a key battleground for all parties. The TMC’s strategy mirrors a broader shift in Indian politics toward data-driven election monitoring and hyperlocal voter engagement.
Political analysts view this development as a pre-election rehearsal for the 2026 Assembly polls. The SIR process provides parties with access to fresh demographic data, migration patterns, and voter-turnout behavior — crucial for campaign mapping and messaging.
(Press Information Bureau – Election Roll Revision Framework)
Potential Challenges Ahead
While the TMC’s directive highlights its commitment to electoral integrity, experts caution that the “shadowing” model could blur lines between assistance and interference if not carefully managed.
The Election Commission and state observers may need to establish clear protocols to ensure BLOs’ autonomy while allowing citizen support initiatives.
Possible issues include:
- Overlap between official and unofficial data-collection.
- Risk of voter intimidation or privacy breach.
- Excessive political presence during administrative procedures.
- Miscommunication between BLOs and party-appointed agents.
(National Election Watch – Electoral Integrity Report)
Grassroots Communication Network
The TMC’s organisational machinery plans to use WhatsApp groups, live dashboards and constituency data centers to monitor the progress of each BLO’s visit. Regular video briefings will link local observers with district-level coordinators, creating a two-way communication loop.
Party sources suggest that this decentralised monitoring model will become permanent, ensuring ongoing oversight beyond the voter-list revision phase.
Citizen Participation and Awareness Campaign
Parallel to its internal operations, the party will roll out a public awareness campaign — “Amar Vote Amar Adhikar” (“My Vote, My Right”) — to educate citizens on checking their names on the electoral roll. The campaign will include posters, local cable TV scrolls, SMS reminders, and on-ground volunteers visiting remote areas.
These efforts, Banerjee stressed, are intended to “empower citizens to be co-guardians of democracy,” making the voter-roll revision process more participatory and transparent.
(Government of West Bengal – e-District Services)
Conclusion: The Next Few Months Will Shape Bengal’s Electoral Future
As West Bengal enters the SIR phase, Abhishek Banerjee’s directive to the TMC’s booth-level network signifies a new model of political vigilance — combining organisational discipline, civic outreach and data transparency. The party’s approach reflects both pre-election strategy and democratic activism, ensuring that every eligible citizen remains on the voter list.
Whether this proactive involvement enhances trust or sparks fresh debate about boundaries between governance and politics will depend on how both the Election Commission and political entities maintain balance and integrity in the coming months.
External Reference Links
- Election Commission of India – Official Portal
- CEO West Bengal – Voter Services
- National Voters’ Service Portal
- Constitution of India – Voting Rights
- West Bengal Disaster & Administration Portal
- Government of West Bengal – eDistrict
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