Overview
- The Election Commission modified its 2023 guideline to permit parties to appoint a Booth Level Agent from any elector in the same Assembly constituency if no eligible person is available from the specific part of the roll.
- The change amends paragraph 3(iv) of Instruction No. 23/BLA/2023-ERS and was formally notified on November 11.
- The revised directive was circulated to Chief Electoral Officers across states and Union Territories, including West Bengal.
- BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari welcomed the move as a pragmatic step to improve scrutiny of draft rolls during the Special Intensive Revision.
- The Trinamool Congress condemned the decision as biased and suggested it could advantage the BJP in Bengal, with some reports noting the party’s past difficulty fielding agents in every booth.