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ECI Rejects Trinamool's Demand for BLA Entry in Bengal Voter List Hearings

The Election Commission of India has refused the Trinamool Congress' request to permit booth-level agents at voter list hearing sessions in West Bengal, citing logistical challenges. An insider explained that allowing agents from all eight registered parties would crowd each table with 11 people, making the process unworkable. The Trinamool has accused the ECI of bias, claiming the BJP lacks the strength to field agents widely, but the Commission maintains uniform rules must apply to all parties. The final voter list will be published in February 2026, ahead of the state's Assembly elections this year.

Key Points: ECI Clarifies Rejection of Trinamool BLA Demand in Bengal

  • Logistical impracticality of 11 people per table
  • Uniform rules for all parties
  • Trinamool alleges political bias
  • Final voter list due Feb 2026
3 min read

Bengal SIR: ECI clarifies why it refused Trinamool's demand for BLA entry in hearing centres

ECI explains why Trinamool Congress' demand for booth-level agents at Bengal voter list hearings was denied, citing logistical impracticality and uniform rules.

"If so many people are allowed... it will be virtually impossible to conduct this hearing process. - CEO Office Insider"

Kolkata, Jan 2

The Election Commission of India has clarified why Trinamool Congress' demand to allow the party's booth-level agents at the ongoing hearing sessions on the claims and objections regarding the draft voters' list in West Bengal was turned down by it.

The hearing session is the main part of the second stage of the three-phase Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in the state.

An insider from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said that in case the Trinamool Congress' demand for allowing BLAs at the hearing session is accepted, then similar demands from other political parties, six national parties, and two state parties in the state registered with the ECI will also have to be accepted.

In that case, in each hearing table, there will be a total of 11 individuals, namely one Electoral Registration Officer (ERO), one Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO), one micro-observer, and eight BLOs from these eight political parties.

"If so many people are allowed to be crowded at a single hearing table, then it will be virtually impossible for the electoral officers to conduct this hearing process. So for all practical purposes, permission for the BLAs to be present at the hearing session is out of question," clarified the CEO's office insider.

Trinamool Congress and All India Forward Bloc are among the two state parties in West Bengal that are registered with the ECI, while the six national parties are Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Indian National Congress, CPI (M), Aam Aadmi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and National People's Party (NPP).

Trinamool Congress leadership, however, has claimed that the ECI has deliberately rejected their plea for allowing BLAs at the hearing session, since it is quite aware that other registered political parties in the state, especially the BJP, do not have enough strength to field BLAs for all the hearing tables.

However, the CEO's office sources said that the ECI could not operate on the conjecture of the strengths of individual parties as regards to fielding an adequate number of BLAs. "The Commission had to apply uniform rules for all political parties, and the rules are framed on the basis of their practical applicability. Hence, the uniform rule for not allowing BLAs at the hearing sessions is applicable for all political parties," the CEO's office source explained.

The draft voters' list was published on December 16, 2025. The final voters' list will be published on February 14, 2026. Soon after that, the ECI will announce the polling dates for the Assembly elections in the state, scheduled for this year.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

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Priyanka N
TMC's accusation that ECI is favoring BJP by this rule is a bit of a stretch. The commission has to maintain neutrality. If other parties don't have enough BLAs, that's their organizational weakness, not the ECI's problem. Let's focus on getting the voter list right! 🙏
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Aman W
This is a classic case of political blame game before elections. Everyone cries foul. But honestly, a hearing needs to be efficient. Too many cooks spoil the broth. Let the EROs and AEROs do their job without political pressure from agents sitting right there.
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Sarah B
As an observer, I appreciate the transparency from the CEO's office in explaining the decision. It's a practical constraint, not a political one. The integrity of the voter list is paramount for a fair election. This seems like a reasonable administrative call.
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Vikram M
While I understand the need for order, complete exclusion of BLAs might reduce oversight. Maybe ECI could have explored a hybrid model? Like allowing one representative from a panel of parties on a rotational basis? Just a thought. The goal should be maximum transparency.
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Nisha Z
Bengal's elections are always high drama! 😅 But on a serious note, this revision is crucial. So many names get added or deleted wrongly. Hope the final list on Feb 14 is accurate. The ECI officers have a tough job balancing efficiency with political demands.

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