The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday suspended five booth-level officers (BLOs) and transferred the commissioner of the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate, ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in West Bengal.
The BLOs—three from North 24 Parganas district, and two from Birbhum—were suspended over allegations that they engaged in political campaigning, a direct violation of poll conduct rules.
According to sources, BLOs Tapan Kumar Saha, Avijit Dey, and Kumarjit Dutta from North 24 Parganas district were allegedly involved in campaigning and advertising in favour of the Trinamool Congress. “All BLOs were sent show-cause notices. One did not answer, and the others’ answers were not satisfactory. After that, they were suspended,” a senior ECI official said.
The ECI transferred Murlidhar Sharma, the commissioner of the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate. Tripurari Atharva assumed charge in Sharma’s place.
The poll body also directed the state administration to initiate departmental inquiries and register First Information Reports (FIRs) against the accused officials.
Assembly elections will be held in two phases in West Bengal, on April 23 and April 29.
Postal ballot submission guidelines
The ECI on Saturday took steps to prevent false polling or illegal activities during postal ballot submission by election workers, and issued new guidelines to all district electoral officers or district magistrates.
Story continues below this ad
“I am directed to inform you that several complaints have been received from polling personnel regarding absence of sufficient facilities at the postal ballot facilitation centre to enable all the eligible polling personnel to cast their votes. There is a need to strengthen planning,” the poll body said in a letter.
“All the relevant protocols are needed to be followed for casting vote and safekeeping of the ballots as per direction by ECI,” it added.
The commission also stated that, in districts where elections are scheduled for April 29, at least one voting compartment should be installed in each facilitation centre for every 50 to 60 electors intending to cast their vote through postal ballots on the final day of training or the mop-up day.
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
