Clash Erupts in Kolkata as BJP, TMC Workers Face Off Over Election Roll Revisions

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A tense standoff unfolded outside the Chief Electoral Officer's office in Kolkata on Monday night as workers from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) clashed over the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal. The situation escalated with hundreds of protesters gathering at the main gate of the Election Commission office, prompting police to set up barricades to keep the two groups apart. According to BJP's North Kolkata district president, Tamoghna Ghosh, TMC workers were responsible for the disturbance, accusing them of sending 'goons' to disrupt the process. However, TMC supporters maintained that they were protesting in solidarity with Booth-Level Officers (BLOs), who have been working under immense pressure to complete the SIR within a shorter timeframe. Several schoolteachers were among the protesters, claiming that the SIR process, which usually takes two years, was being compressed into two months. They alleged that thousands of voters had been deleted from the voter list in Bihar and feared a similar conspiracy was unfolding in West Bengal. The unrest comes amid reports of BLOs falling ill and at least three deaths, with officials confirming that two of the deaths were by suicide and another occurred under 'unnatural circumstances'. West Bengal CEO Manoj Kumar Agarwal acknowledged the heavy strain on BLOs, describing them as the 'real heroes' of the ongoing revision. He assured that the Election Commission was taking steps to address the concerns and provide assistance to the BLOs. The situation has raised concerns about the implementation of the SIR process, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee blaming the Election Commission for the 'unplanned implementation' and 'express haste' in conducting the exercise.