Election Commission says poll officials facing violence, threats in Bengal, blames CM Mamata Banerjee

“During her reported speech, (Banerjee) explicitly identified and targeted a micro observer… thereby publicly isolating an election official performing statutory duties and subjecting him to unwarranted pressure and intimidation,” the EC said. “Such conduct not only undermines the assurances of collaboration proffered before this… Court, but also gravely compromises the independence, neutrality and safety of election officials. It vitiates the environment requisite for the execution of a free, fair and fearless revision process,” it said.

“The repercussions of such speeches are being acutely felt on the ground in real time. The CEO of West Bengal received, on January 14, 2026, a collective protest letter submitted by nine micro-observers assigned to 55-Farakka Assembly Constituency in Murshidabad, formally withdrawing from their SIR responsibilities due to the violent assaults perpetrated by miscreants and the inadequate security provisions,” it said.

It added that on January 15, “another instance occurred in Uttar Dinajpur district where the office of the Development Officer, Chakulia, where SIR related work was being carried on, was attacked and ransacked by a mob of around 700 people. The mob destroyed the computer infrastructure as well (as) the documents.”

The EC said that unlike in other states, where the SIR process has been relatively incident-free, “numerous occurrences of violence, intimidation and obstruction against election officials… have been documented” in West Bengal.

“There exists a pervasive reluctance among local police authorities to register FIRs in response to grievances articulated by Booth Level Officers (BLOs). In certain instances, FIRs were documented only subsequent to intervention by the DEO, with arrests occurring belatedly thereafter,” it said.

While other states have adhered to directives regarding registration of FIRs and implementation of disciplinary measures, West Bengal “has willfully neglected to do so, even in the wake of formal inquiries and written acknowledgments by Electoral Registration Officers regarding their dereliction of duty,” it said.

According to the affidavit, on November 24, protesters claiming to be BLOs attempted forceful entry into the office of the Chief Electoral Officer. “Despite explicit directives issued to the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Kolkata, the demonstrators were not removed from the office premises; instead, they remained encamped in the premises for an extended duration of 28 hours”, and no FIR was filed, no protester apprehended, it said.

With the draft rolls published, “successful culmination without fear or intimidation is… imperative for the meticulous preparation of the electoral roll,” it said, adding that “however, lamentably, a disturbing pattern of conduct previously unseen during electoral roll revision exercises has emerged in the State.”

The EC cited a “statement by a sitting Minister of West Bengal that he will break the legs of the Election Commission”; another statement by an MLA suggesting that the deletion of names during the SIR would constitute “playing with fire”, threats of physically restraining BLOs who fail to present earlier electoral rolls; and public declarations by the Chief Minister urging people to take the “law into their own hands.”

It said “reports submitted by electoral roll observers indicate that, seemingly responding to such entreaties, groups of women, allegedly mobilised by political operatives, have obstructed and disrupted the activities of BLOs, EROs and Assistant EROs while vociferously expressing politically motivated slogans.”

The SC had issued notice on December 9, after senior advocate V Giri, appearing for the petitioner organisation Sanatani Sangsad, sought to highlight the alleged violence against BLOs and said they “should be given protection”