SIR likely to commence in Bengal in first week of November; tough task awaits Election Commission as hundreds of BLOs refuse to participate

According to the sources, the SIR process will continue till February in West Bengal. It will be conducted in three phases, and each phase will be completed in one month. In the first month, Booth Level Officers (BLO) will visit households, distribute the enumeration form and verify the names with the 2002 SIR list. BLOs will also help new voters to fill up the enumeration forms.

In the following month, political parties will submit their proposals for deletion, modification and inclusion in the lists. In the last month, district electoral officers and other senior officers will verify all information and finalise the voter lists, which will be published in the first or second week of February. Thereafter, the ECI will give seven days to the public to approach them for any modification, after which the final voter lists will be published.

A senior ECI officer said, “It is not possible to complete SIR before the Bengal assembly elections (in 2026), if the process does not begin in November. So, we have no option other than to start SIR in November.”

Meanwhile, the West Bengal CEO is reportedly facing difficulties in employing Booth Level Officers (BLO) to carry out SIR. Till now, the office of the West Bengal CEO has summoned at least 600 BLOs for their unwillingness to participate in SIR. On the other hand, the CEO was reportedly informed about irregularities in appointing more than 4,000 BLOs.

In another development, the poll body has decided to appoint assistant BLOs to assist BLOs. “BLOs are also feeling unsafe as they will have to go to different areas accompanied by supporters of political parties. If assistant BLOs accompany them, they will feel safer. However, sufficient security arrangements will also be there for the BLOs,” said a senior official.

ECI has also planned to open a help desk from the district level to the block level electoral office. Each help desk will have 10-13 personnel who will be deputed to provide voters with the necessary information and suggestions.

According to sources, mapping and matching work with the 2002 voter lists has been almost completed. Only in some North Bengal districts was the work stalled due to the recent floods.

“Now the situation in the North Bengal districts is normal. Matching and mapping have again started. We are expecting that the work will be completed within one week,” said a senior poll official.