The office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal has sought a detailed report regarding allegations that a Trinamool Congress functionary was included in the list of booth-level officers (BLOs) under the Diamond Harbour Assembly constituency in South 24 Parganas district.
According to sources in the CEO’s office, the report was sought after Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, drew the attention of the Election Commission of India (ECI) to the alleged inclusion of ruling party office bearers in the BLO lists.
Adhikari cited the case of Diamond Harbour as an example, claiming that the integrity of the electoral process could be compromised if politically affiliated individuals were appointed to such positions.
As per information provided by Adhikari, the officer in question, Md. Alauddin Molla, has been named as a BLO in the Diamond Harbour constituency.
He alleged that Molla is an area president of the Trinamool Congress and that his wife, Liala Bibi, serves as an elected Trinamool panchayat member from Block No. 2 of Diamond Harbour.
Following the complaint, West Bengal CEO Ariz Aftab Agarwal sought a comprehensive report from the District Magistrate of South 24 Parganas, who also serves as the District Election Officer, to verify the allegations and ascertain whether due procedure was followed in Molla’s appointment as a BLO.
Adhikari, speaking yesterday, warned that allowing politically linked individuals to function as booth-level officers could open avenues for manipulation of the electoral process.
He urged the Election Commission to intervene and ensure neutrality and transparency while appointing field-level electoral personnel.
The selection of BLOs in West Bengal has been contentious in recent months. Earlier, allegations surfaced that contractual government employees and para-teachers were being appointed as BLOs, despite the Election Commission’s guideline specifying that only permanent state government employees and regular teachers in state-run schools should be considered for such roles.
Concerns have also been raised over the appointment of electoral registration officers (EROs).
The ECI mandates that only officers from the West Bengal Civil Service (WBCS) cadre—such as sub-divisional officers, sub-divisional magistrates, or rural development officers—should serve as EROs.
