Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in West Bengal: ‘It’s the last stretch… have to hurry up’

“There… the app is stuck again,” she says, after another failed attempt at uploading an enumeration form onto the EC’s BLO app. “This is now our biggest headache. Most of the time the app doesn’t work properly. It works only from 8 pm to midnight and then between 6 am and 8.30 am,” says Pinki, a primary teacher at the city’s Sanskrit Collegiate School.

BLO Pinky Jaiswal reached Jaynarayan Tarka Panchanan Lane under KMC ward no 30, for SIR registration work, on Tuesday in Kolkata. Express photo by Partha Paul

Pinki is BLO of Block Number 115 of Beleghata Assembly constituency that has 751 electors, according to the 2025 voter list. The last intensive revision of the electoral roll in the state was done in 2002 and Pinki has to help electors refer to this list to fill up their forms.

With the December 4 deadline fast approaching, Pinki has been working to a plan: “For the first 10 days, I distributed forms. Every day, I distributed almost 60-70 forms. For the next 10 days, I collected forms and uploaded them. Now, it’s the last stretch. I’ll have to hurry up.” She says she has uploaded 70% of her forms so far.

BLO Pinky Jaiswal (Express photo by Partha Paul)

Besides problems with the app, what slowed her down, she says, is the indifference among people. “They know they have time until December 4 to submit forms. When we go to their homes, they say, why are you in such a hurry? Then there are people who panic when they have to fill the form, so they bring it and leave it all to me,” she says.

5.30 am to 12.30 pm

“I wake up at 5.30 am and start uploading forms at 6. After 8-8.30 am, the app slows down and then I stop to do some chores at home. Around 10 am, I leave for my field visits,” says Pinki.

BLO Pinky Jaiswal uploading documents in the ECI portal from her residence in Kolkata. (Express photo by Partha Paul)

But before that, she spends considerable time packing her two bags. In the bigger one, a tote bag with the Election Commission’s logo, she neatly arranges enumeration forms, voter lists, a register in which she gets people to sign when they submit their forms and a clip board. The other is a backpack in which she keeps her stationery, cellphone, a water bottle and a tiffin box. “My mother forces me to take a tiffin box. I am not particular about what I eat, especially these days, when there’s so much work — so oats, bread, luchi-tarkari… whatever,” she says.

Booth Number 115 of Beleghata constituency, with its mix of Bengali and Hindi-speaking population, has both slums and apartment complexes. It’s a daily 15-minute autorickshaw ride from her home.

Pinki starts the day’s work from 1, Jay Narayan Tarka Panchanan Road, a slum with around 25 households along the railway line. Most of the residents here need help with the forms.

Pinki starts the day’s work from 1, Jay Narayan Tarka Panchanan Road, a slum with around 25 households along the railway line. (Express Photo by Partha Paul)

Her first stop is Lalita Das’s home. “Didi, I am enrolled in Jahanjha Assembly constituency in Bihar (Jamui). I have asked my brother to send details from the 2002 voter list.”

“Tell him to send the details fast. We don’t have much time,” Pinki says before moving to Lakhan Das’s house next door. “Why haven’t you filled this part? Don’t you have any information on the 2002 voter list? Did you look for your name, your parents’, your relatives… anybody at all?” The 40-year-old nods, says he is not on the 2002 list. “You keep all your documents ready. You will be called for a hearing,” says Pinki, leaving behind a worried looking Lakhan.

“Out of 751 electors, I have been able to match details of almost 570 with the 2002 voter list. Around 182 names are of those who are either dead or have shifted to other places. Those who can’t establish any link with the 2002 SIR will be called for a hearing. So, I am keeping those forms aside because my gut feeling is that the BLO will have to be present during the hearing,” she says.

12.30 pm to 8 pm

After visiting some more families, Pinki reaches Jaynarayan Tarka Panchanan Lane. Here, the parking area of an apartment complex has been converted into Pinki’s makeshift office, where she sits from 12.30 pm to 4 pm, helping people fill up their form.

BLO Pinky Jaiswal reaches Jaynarayan Tarka Panchanan Lane under KMC ward no 30, for SIR registration work in Kolkata. (Express photo by Partha Paul)

As soon as she settles down, 70-year-old Rajinder Singh submits his form, without filling in any of the details. Pinki tells him to wait till she has finished with a few forms and he snaps: “I have to go to the hospital where my wife is admitted. Yesterday, you told me to come today. And now, you are asking me to wait. You think you can take away my voting rights?”

Pinki smiles and takes Rajinder’s forms, along with that of his wife and son. She finds their names on the 2002 list and fills in the details. It takes her about 15 minutes to fill each form.

She attends to many more people – filling their forms, answering their queries, both in person and on her phone that rings incessantly. “One person called to say that his entire family has misplaced their SIR forms. After consulting with my supervisor, I told them to fill the forms online,” she says.

BLO Pinky Jaiswal (Express photo by Partha Paul)

By 4 pm, Pinki has managed to collect 60 forms. “They should have given us at least two months to do this. I am a strong person, I can overlook my spondylosis or my parents’ illness. But, not everyone can take such pressure. I know many BLOs who are suffering from anxiety,” she says.

After almost eight hours of field work, Jaiswal returns home tired. “I have a couple of hours to myself. After that, from 8 pm, the fight to upload the forms begins. That’s the most tedious job,” says Pinki.

Pinki says she misses her students the most. “I am the class teacher of Class 4 and my students are completely lost now. I am trying to complete my SIR job as soon as I can so that I can go back to them. They have their examinations coming up next month,” she says.

BLO Pinky Jaiswal (Express photo by Partha Paul)

8 pm to midnight

Earlier, this was my personal time when I would read books. But now, I spend all that time uploading forms. I get at least 200 phone calls a day. All that we do for the sake of democracy!” she laughs.

Beside her, mother Kaveri says, “She eats almost nothing the entire day. And she has no time for us – I suffered my teeth ache for a week before she took me to the dentist.”

BLO Pinky Jaiswal (Express photo by Partha Paul)

Pinki agrees. “Yes, I have no time for anything now. In fact, I haven’t even filled up my family’s SIR forms. I will have to do that in the next couple of days,” she says.