ECI responded with a point-by-point rejection of each allegation raised by the party, calling them baseless and warning that any attempt to influence or threaten booth-level officers, Electoral Registration Officers or District Election Officers would not be tolerated. The Commission instructed the TMC to wait until the draft electoral rolls are published on 9 December before filing any claims or objections. It further appointed a special roll observer for the state and directed all DEOs to ensure new polling stations are created in slum areas, high-rise buildings and gated colonies in compliance with national guidelines.
Amid fears over security of electoral officers, the EC ordered the office of the Chief Electoral Officer in West Bengal to be relocated to a more secure location and asked the Kolkata Police Commissioner to provide full protection at both old and new premises. The move came after protests by Booth Level Officers under the banner of a local rights group, who had staged a 30-hour sit-in at the CEO’s office, citing excessive work pressure triggered by the SIR duties.
TMC’s national general secretary blasted the EC for “selective, fabricated leaks”, demanding full disclosure of all CCTV footage and evidence related to the SIR process. He claimed that the party already holds digital proof that contradicts the EC’s narrative and questioned why West Bengal alone is being subjected to such intrusive verification. The party has also submitted a list of 40 individuals whom it alleges died due to stress linked to SIR work, calling the exercise “inhumane” and accusing the EC of mishandling the entire process.
BLOs across multiple districts have reportedly fallen ill under sustained pressure, with server glitches, tight deadlines and technical failures in the BLO mobile application hampering digitisation efforts. The TMC has repeatedly flagged these issues, pointing to what it describes as an unsustainable workload on frontline election staff.
Critics outside the party have also raised questions, alleging that electoral roll revision camps are being conducted from politically aligned community halls rather than via mandated door-to-door verification, and calling such practices a blatant violation of norms. They argue that the use of party-run premises for SIR work undermines the neutrality of the process and creates scope for manipulation of voter lists.