Mamata Banerjee Attacks ECI Over Voters’ List Errors, Asks TMC BLAs to Monitor Observers

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday hit out at the Election Commission of India (ECI) for allowing “gross errors” in the voters’ lists during the special intensive revision of electoral rolls and directed the booth-level agents (BLAs) of the Trinamool Congress to identify and trail the micro-observers being appointed by the ECI for hearing during the SIR scrutiny.

Alleging once again that the poll panel was acting at the instance of the BJP and serving its purposes, Banerjee said during a meeting of the TMC BLAs.

“The ECI is working to serve the purpose of the BJP. It has become evident by their acts. They have left gross errors in the electoral rolls in mapping the voters at the time of the SIR. This is not to be accepted and you will have to keep a strong vigil on each of their steps when the hearing process starts,” she told the BLAs, asking them to collect all the details of the micro-observers and trail them when the hearing would start.

The ECI has appointed central government employees as micro-observers during the hearing process when the ECI officials would hear out the voters whose names have been deleted from the voters’ lists.

The meeting was held at the Netaji Indoor Stadium, Kolkata.

“They are appointing the observers without informing the State Government. This is because they must have some trick up their sleeves. It is clear that they are working at the instance of the BJP to serve their interests. But it is not going to be that easy, because this is Bengal,” Banerjee said, asking the BLAs to “watch out for every move of the observers.”

“The micro-observers who have been appointed have little knowledge of the local language or the people. So how can they perform their work properly?” she asked. Banerjee’s attack on the ECI coincided with a group of TMC-backed booth-level officers on Monday gheraoing the State Chief Electoral Officer's office. They raised slogans against the ECI and tried to break the barricade, questioning the reason behind making them go beyond the schedule.

“Every day, the ECI is increasing our responsibilities and making us do all those things for which we are neither equipped nor trained. In this process, several of the BLOs have either died or fallen sick. We want us to be relieved of the work,” BLOs shouted.

Referring to the appointment of micro-observers, the Commission sources clarified that though they would be drawn from the central government employees, none of them would be brought from outside States. “All the micro-observers will be appointed from Bengal and not outside it,” sources said.

The ECI sources also said the hearing would start from December 27 and notices would be issued to 10 lakh people to appear for the purpose with all their documents.

The ECI officials also clarified that the hearing would be held in government offices, schools, colleges and corporation buildings, but in no case, it will be held in the panchayat offices in the rural areas.

Meanwhile, the BJP hit back at the Chief Minister for getting unnerved by the cleansing of the electoral rolls after the SIR. “Now she knows that ground is steadily slipping beneath her feet and so she is shouting,” BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul said, adding, “all those voters dead, shifted or infiltrators whose names have gone out of the voters’ lists were used by TMC to win elections … but this time she is nervous … so she is crying hoarse.”

The BJP also questioned her statement, asking the TMC BLAs to collect information of the micro-observers and trail them. “This is a clear threat and should be taken cognizance of by the ECI,” the saffron leaders said.