Kolkata BLOs Navigate Confusion and Delays in Electoral Roll Publication
After four months of extensive exercise for the Summary Revision of the electoral roll, Booth Level Officers in Kolkata finally received their results, which involved counting electors whose names remained on the list, those deleted, and those marked as 'under adjudication'. The process, however, was marred by significant delays and confusion, leaving many BLOs and voters anxious.
Anxiety and Uncertainty Among BLOs and Voters
Some BLOs, overwhelmed by repeated calls from anxious electors, chose to confine themselves indoors to avoid the pressure. Others, despite their own anxiety, stepped out to assist voters in checking their names on the roll. These proactive officers also reassured 'deleted' voters that they would make every effort to restore their names to the list.
Throughout the afternoon, BLOs and their supervisors, including Assistant Electoral Registration Officers across the city, remained largely in the dark about the electoral roll's status. Many speculated that they would receive the list of their respective parts directly at the booths, while others spent the entire afternoon waiting at Jessop Building and Survey Building. The lists only reached them in the evening, further complicating the process.
Logistical Challenges and Last-Minute Efforts
In response to the delays, some BLOs decided to post the lists at their respective booths overnight, while others planned to display them on Sunday morning. A BLO from Maniktala expressed frustration, stating, "If we were given the list in the daytime, we could have put it up at the booth. I received it at Jessop Building in the evening and started calling the electors who rang me throughout the day. Even if I put up the list at the booth at night, how many will turn up to check it?"
Arkadeb Bhattacharya, an AERO from Maniktala, noted, "BLOs asked me when they will get the lists, and it seemed that they had a lot of confusion about the matter. I later decided to turn up at Jessop Building."
Early Morning Anxiety and Day-Long Confusion
On Saturday, BLOs, sharing the anxiety of their electors, woke up early with phones ringing incessantly due to the lack of clarity regarding the venue and timing for the final list's publication. Sumedha Bhattacharya, a BLO from Shyampukur, recounted, "Worried about the fate of my electors, I woke up as early as 5 am today. Like others, I knew that the list would be brought out today, but I started my day without any clue about how things would go."
As the day progressed, she guided callers to the website where the list was to be uploaded, visited Jessop Building, and spent the remainder of the day at her center, Ganabhavan.
Prolonged Waiting and Evening Receipt
Manasi Guha, a BLO from Behala, waited all day at Survey Building in Alipore, finally receiving the list in the evening. She explained, "Tired of taking calls from electors, I did not venture out of home, thinking that more people would gather around me to know about their status on the electoral roll. In the afternoon, I came to the Survey Building to collect the list, which was handed over to me in the evening."
The delays and confusion highlight the challenges faced by electoral officials in ensuring timely and transparent publication of voter lists, impacting both the efficiency of the process and voter confidence.
