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8h ago

EC Starts BLO Training in Bengal as Parties Trade Complaints and TMC Sets Nov. 4 Rally

The rollout is doubling as an operational drill and a security challenge, with a new mobile app for field work and teacher-deputed officers demanding written on-duty status and safeguards.

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BLOs raise security, duty concerns as EC begins training ahead of SIR
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Overview

  • The Election Commission began district training for 80,861 booth-level officers, introduced a BLO mobile app and kits, and plans to complete sessions by November 3 ahead of house-to-house enumeration from November 4 to December 4.
  • BLOs in Kolkata and Durgapur protested the lack of formal duty documentation and sought stronger protection, as officials said state police would handle security and no central forces would be deployed for training.
  • The Trinamool Congress asked the state CEO to initiate an FIR against Suvendu Adhikari over alleged threats to BLOs referencing Bihar, while the BJP complained against a TMC district leader for remarks they said threatened officials.
  • Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee announced a Kolkata protest march on November 4, and the party prepared 6,200 help desks, 294 war rooms and directions for BLAs to shadow BLOs; the BJP scheduled a counter rally in North 24 Parganas.
  • The EC said it will publish names linked to unsubmitted forms before the December 9 draft roll, is training party BLAs through November 3, and expects roughly 14,000 additional booths with substitute BLOs on standby.