As the Congress party leads opposition demands in Parliament for a debate on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists, a significant organizational shortcoming has emerged on the ground in Uttar Pradesh. The party has failed to appoint crucial Booth Level Agents (BLAs) for the electoral exercise in at least 17 districts of the politically critical state, according to the latest Election Commission data.
The Stark Numbers: A Lag in Grassroots Mobilization
Data accessed from the office of the Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer, updated until November 28, 2025, paints a concerning picture for the Congress's ground machinery. In a state with 1.62 lakh polling booths, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had appointed BLAs for 98.37% of booths (1.6 lakh agents). The Samajwadi Party (SP) covered 87.46% (1.42 lakh booths), and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) covered 85% (1.38 lakh booths). In stark contrast, the Congress had managed to appoint only 49,121 BLAs, covering a mere 30.23% of the total booths.
The role of a BLA is pivotal during the SIR process. These agents work directly with the Election Commission's Booth Level Officer (BLO) to verify voter data, report discrepancies like incorrect addresses or deceased voters, and safeguard their party's electoral interests by ensuring the voter base is not erroneously deleted.
Districts Left Uncovered and Internal Challenges
The EC data reveals the Congress has not appointed any BLAs in 17 districts: Saharanpur, Prayagraj, Ambedkar Nagar, Auraiya, Bahraich, Ballia, Bhadohi, Hamirpur, Kannauj, Kanpur Dehat, Kaushambi, Mathura, Mau, Sant Kabir Nagar, Shahjahanpur, Shamli, and Sultanpur.
This gap is notable even in areas of recent success. For instance, in Prayagraj district, where the Congress won the Lok Sabha seat last year, the BJP and SP have BLAs in all 4,713 booths, while the Congress has none. The situation is slightly better in Rae Bareli, the constituency of Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, where the party has appointed 2,222 BLAs out of 2,242 booths. The only districts where Congress has full BLA coverage are Amethi, Badaun, Chitrakoot, Lalitpur, Pilibhit, and Shrawasti.
Congress spokesperson Anshu Awasthi attributed initial delays to guidelines from district election officers but stated that the leadership, after a November 27 review meeting chaired by AICC secretary Dhiraj Gurjar in Lucknow, has directed all booths to be covered by December 5.
Root Cause: A Weakened Organizational Structure
However, party insiders point to deeper, systemic issues plaguing the Congress in Uttar Pradesh, a state essential for any national political revival. A party leader revealed that the Pradesh, district, city, and block committees of the Congress have remained dissolved for the past year. While a state president exists, there is no state committee. District presidents appointed recently are yet to form District Congress Committees.
"When the party is in such a state, how can it rope in workers for a crucial exercise such as SIR?" a leader questioned, highlighting the fundamental problem.
A functionary from Ayodhya, where Congress has BLAs in only 485 of 2,053 booths, cited a lack of interest from Pradesh Congress Committee members and practical issues. "Many of our workers are busy farming their fields; these are the practical problems on the ground," the functionary said. Block-level meetings have not been held for seven years in some areas.
Another senior leader pinpointed a "lack of motivation and energy among workers and district leaders" regarding SIR tasks, linking it to the party's long absence from power in the state and irregular communication between office-bearers and ground workers.
This disconnect between the party's aggressive parliamentary stance on SIR and its faltering grassroots preparedness in India's most populous state underscores the significant organizational challenges the Congress faces as it seeks to rebuild its presence in Uttar Pradesh.
