BLOs in Behrampore Stage Protest, Submit Mass Resignations Over ECI Confusion
In Behrampore, West Bengal, a significant protest unfolded on Wednesday morning. Several Booth Level Officers gathered at the Farakka Block Development Office. They demanded to be relieved of their duties immediately. The BLOs expressed frustration with the Election Commission of India's instructions, which they claimed were changing constantly throughout the day.
Mass Resignation Submitted to BDO Office
According to reliable administrative sources, approximately thirty BLOs took collective action. They submitted a mass resignation letter to the Farakka BDO office. This letter was formally addressed to the electoral registration officer. The Farakka BDO, Junaid Ahmed, remained unavailable for comment despite repeated attempts to reach him via phone calls and WhatsApp messages.
Syd Taj Islam, one of the protesting BLOs, explained their decision. "We have already lost popularity with local residents after issuing multiple hearing notices," he stated. "Voters are facing harassment, and we are completely overloaded with work. We cannot continue any longer, which is why we jointly submitted our resignations."
Tech Challenges and Increasing Workload Cited
Another BLO, Mir Nazir Ali, highlighted specific issues. "As primary school teachers, we are not very familiar with technology," he said. "Initially, the ECI told us that no documents needed to be collected or submitted. Now, after discrepancies emerged, we are being advised to submit all documents and verify the originals. The number of voters called for hearings keeps rising. After finishing our school duties, it is impossible to handle such a hectic job for the ECI."
Tension Escalates with Hearing Camp Ransacking
Later in the day, the situation turned tense at the Farakka BDO office campus. Agitated voters entered the hearing camp and proceeded to ransack it completely. This incident occurred in the presence of local Trinamool Congress MLA Manirul Islam. A large police force quickly rushed to the spot and managed to bring the situation under control. However, the hearing process had to be suspended for more than two hours due to the disruption.
Political Reactions and Official Responses
Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal took immediate notice. He sought a detailed report from the district election officer of Murshidabad regarding the entire incident. Farakka BDO Biswajit Chakraborty provided an update. He confirmed that he had informed higher authorities about the matter. Chakraborty added that he could not comment further until receiving subsequent instructions from his superiors.
The BDO lodged a First Information Report against unknown persons involved in the ransacking. Notably, the FIR did not name MLA Manirul Islam or his aides, even though they were present during the incident. In the complaint, the BDO stated that the attack took place in the presence of micro-observers. Police later arrested two individuals in connection with the violent episode.
Political Blame Game Erupts
Trinamool MLA Manirul Islam defended his actions. "I received information that a section was creating a Hindu-Muslim divide in the name of hearings," he said. "I tried to pacify the situation. The Trinamool Congress is not responsible for today's incident. But if you ask me, I support the agitators. This is a spontaneous agitation by the people."
BJP MLA from Murshidabad, Gauri Shankar Ghosh, strongly condemned the incident. "The TMC is performing a drama to mislead the people," he asserted. "In most places, BDOs are working according to the instructions of the TMC. To divert attention from that, the TMC is staging a new drama here in Farakka."
The protest and subsequent violence have highlighted growing tensions in the region ahead of elections. BLOs, caught between changing ECI directives and public anger, are finding their roles increasingly untenable. The incident underscores the challenges of implementing electoral processes smoothly in a charged political atmosphere.
