Election Commission eases BLA appointment rules, TMC says it will benefit BJP in SIR

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EC eases BLA appointment rules, TMC says it will benefit BJP in SIR The TMC hit out at the EC’s decision, alleging that it would benefit the BJP in the ongoing SIR in West Bengal as the party was finding it difficult to appoint BLAs in the state.

Relaxing the criteria for parties to appoint Booth Level Agents (BLAs), the Election Commission has allowed the BLAs to be a registered elector of the same Assembly constituency, as opposed to the earlier requirement of BLAs being electors of the booth in which they are appointed.

While the BJP has hailed the move, stating that it would empower political parties to contribute more effectively towards accurate voter lists, West Bengal’s ruling TMC on Wednesday accused the EC of bending the rules “to favour the BJP”.

The TMC hit out at the EC’s decision, alleging that it would benefit the BJP in the ongoing SIR in West Bengal as the party was finding it difficult to appoint BLAs in the state. Addressing a press conference in Kolkata, TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee said the EC had “bent the rules to favour the BJP”.

He said, “Since the BJP has failed miserably in finding agents across all booths, the Election Commission has conveniently rewritten the rulebook. Now, a BLA can be a voter from any booth within the same assembly constituency.”

Earlier, the BJP had welcomed the move with West Bengal Assembly Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari stating on X on Tuesday: “I welcome the… decision… enhances flexibility by allowing BLAs from the same Assembly Constituency in cases of unavailability, while ensuring rigorous scrutiny of electoral rolls to identify shifted or deceased voters. This will undoubtedly strengthen the integrity of our electoral process, promote transparency, and empower political parties to contribute more effectively towards accurate voter lists. A big thumbs up to the ECI for listening to the ground realities and bolstering democracy.”

Damini Nath is an Assistant Editor with the national bureau of The Indian Express. She covers the housing and urban affairs and Election Commission beats. She has 11 years of experience as a reporter and sub-editor. Before joining The Indian Express in 2022, she was a reporter with The Hindu’s national bureau covering culture, social justice, housing and urban affairs and the Election Commission. ... Read More

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