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Amid disruptions and gherao, EC may deploy Central forces to give security to special observers in Bengal

On Monday, TMC workers reportedly disrupted hearings at three places over the EC’s decision not to allow party-affiliated Booth Level Assistants at the hearings

2 min readKolkataDec 31, 2025 06:21 AM IST

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After the attack, special roll observer Subrata Gupta and state Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal both wrote letters to the EC to give adequate security for special roll observers.

After deploying Central forces outside the West Bengal Chief Electoral Office in Kolkata, the Election Commission (EC) is considering using them to provide security to special roll observers following incidents of gherao and attack on them during the ongoing hearing in the SIR exercise.

On Monday, TMC workers reportedly disrupted hearings at three places over the EC’s decision not to allow party-affiliated Booth Level Assistants (BLAs) at the hearings.

Recently, a convoy of one of the special roll observers, C Murugan, was attacked at Magrahat in South 24 Parganas district. He was previously also gheraoed in Falta by voters over the deletions of names in the draft roll.

After the attack, special roll observer Subrata Gupta and state Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal both wrote letters to the EC to give adequate security for special roll observers.

Deputy Election Commissioner flags discrepancies

Meanwhile, Deputy Election Commissioner Gyanesh Bharti reached Kolkata on Tuesday for a two-day visit to oversee the SIR process.

During a meeting with all the DEOs, Bharti said that till date, many irregularities have been found in the enumeration form upload and also during the hearings.

In some cases, more than a hundred people were mapped with the same father or mother, he said, and directed all DEOs to take immediate action in such cases.

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He also alerted DEOs that, during the hearing, no documents should be taken that are not mentioned in the EC order.

“If those documents are taken, those cases will be canceled during verification,” an EC official said.

Bharti also said that only DEOs will be authorised to verify documents given in the hearing. They can’t divert the verification process to other officials or the EROs, he reportedly said.

Atri Mitra

Atri Mitra is a highly accomplished Special Correspondent for The Indian Express, bringing over 20 years of experience to his reporting. His work is characterized by deep regional knowledge and a focus on critical administrative and political developments, establishing strong Expertise and Authority in his domain. Experience Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express. Decades of Experience: Over two decades of extensive reporting experience, primarily covering administration and political news. Geographical Focus: Holds significant reporting experience from West Bengal, Bihar, and the North-East, providing a comprehensive understanding of the socio-political landscape in these regions. Key Coverage: Has dedicated more than ten years to covering administration and political news, with a keen focus on political developments in West Bengal. Electoral Reporting: Demonstrated a commitment to crucial political moments, having covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections during his time at Anandabazar Patrika, and the 2019 Bihar Lok Sabha election while working with News18-Bangla. Career Foundation: Began his career at the leading vernacular daily Anandabazar Patrika, where he worked for more than fifteen years, including a three-year stint as the Bihar correspondent. Education Advanced Degree: Holds a Master's degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University, providing an analytical framework for his political and administrative reporting. Undergraduate Education: Holds a Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University. Prestigious Alumni: His educational background includes attending esteemed institutions: he is an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur. Atri Mitra's decades of dedicated reporting, substantial focus on political and administrative beats, and solid academic credentials make him a trusted and authoritative source for news and analysis from Eastern and North-Eastern India. ... Read More

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