Kolkata: The work of SIR (SPECIAL INTENSIVE REVISION) starts today in West Bengal. Here, BLO will go door to door to check the documents and the existence of the voters. This verification is based on the 2002 voter list. The Election Commission of India initiated this process to remove undocumented or deceased voters from the list. During the visit, BLOs (Block Level Officers) will verify documents such as the pension payment order, birth certificate, passport, and bank account opened before 2002. BLO will start visiting homes from the 4th of November after 1 pm.
Although the BLOs are not happy, they will have to manage both their regular duties (teachers and other state government jobs). They will also handle their additional responsibilities. Some BLOs have requested that leave be granted to them. They seek leave from their respective jobs for this SIR assignment.
Mamata Banerjee has opposed SIR from day one. She believes it is a move by the BJP to manipulate the voter list. On the other hand, BJP leaders claim that people without proper documents are coming from Bangladesh and settling in the state. They argue it’s the Trinamool government that provides them with voter cards, Aadhar cards, etc. According to BJP spokespersons, these individuals form the vote bank for the ruling party.
Today, Mamata Banerjee held a mass rally to protest against SIR. She led thousands of her supporters onto the main roads of Kolkata. This rally caused severe traffic congestion, with roads blocked. Consequently, thousands were stranded. To counter this, the BJP also organized a rally in support of SIR in North 24 Parganas. Here, the Leader of Opposition stated that many undocumented people have already left West Bengal. He mentioned they left due to fear of the SIR exercise. Now, time will tell the future of SIR as the West Bengal elections approach. Whether this process will remove all ineligible voters and create a fair playing field for the 2026 elections remains to be seen.
