Kolkata: Taking serious note of growing intimidation against election staff, the Election Commission of India has issued stringent instructions to ensure foolproof security for Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and other polling personnel across West Bengal ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls.
In a strongly-worded letter to the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police, the Commission directed district magistrates and superintendents of police to personally oversee the safety of every BLO, especially in sensitive pockets where Trinamool Congress workers have allegedly threatened or assaulted officials performing voter-list duties. The EC has mandated round-the-clock police protection wherever required, real-time tracking of complaints, and immediate FIRs against perpetrators.
The trigger? A series of disturbing incidents were reported from South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas and Murshidabad, where BLOs — mostly schoolteachers — were allegedly heckled, chased away or forced to delete names from electoral rolls under political pressure.
In a viral video, a mob surrounded a teacher who was pleading for mercy.
“Any attack on an election official is an attack on democracy itself,” a senior EC functionary said, adding, the Commission will not hesitate to invoke Article 324 powers and deploy central forces if the state fails to act.
With memories of post-2021 poll violence still raw, the Commission has also asked for vulnerability mapping of all 80,000-plus polling booths by December 15 and weekly video conferences with district election officers.
As Bengal braces for another fiercely-contested election, the EC’s tough stance sends a clear message: those who raise their hand against the ballot will face the full might of the law.