No compromise on rules for electoral officers’ selection: ECI on SIR in Bengal

As West Bengal gears up for the crucial special intensive revision (SIR) scheduled to commence after 15 October, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued a stern directive to the state administration, underlining that the selection of electoral officers — particularly booth-level officers (BLOs) and Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) — must strictly adhere to its prescribed norms, with no room for compromise.

Sources in the office of the chief electoral officer (CEO), West Bengal, confirmed that the ECI has sent a fresh communique to chief secretary Manoj Pant, detailing the guidelines and criteria for the appointment of electoral officers. The commission’s message is clear: procedural lapses or deviations from established rules will not be tolerated.

Under the ECI framework, permanent state government employees, including teaching staff from state-run schools, are to be given first preference for appointment as BLOs. Contractual employees may only be considered in the absence of sufficient permanent staff in any booth or region, and even then, the district magistrate — who doubles as the district electoral officer — must justify the selection and obtain the CEO’s approval.

Similarly, ERO appointments must comply with strict norms. Eligible officers must be drawn from the West Bengal Civil Service (WBCS) — Executive cadre, holding ranks no lower than sub-divisional magistrates (SDMs), sub-divisional officers (SDOs), or rural development officers (RDOs). The ECI emphasized that seniority and service credentials must not be overlooked, ensuring the appointments are both fair and transparent.

The directive comes against the backdrop of sustained criticism from the West Bengal unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has repeatedly alleged irregularities in BLO appointments. On Friday, Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, flagged purported discrepancies in the selection of EROs, submitting a detailed list of 226 officers whose appointments, he claimed, flouted ECI guidelines. “This malpractice undermines the integrity of our electoral process,” Adhikari asserted, urging the commission to take immediate corrective action.

Tensions have further escalated as chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday accused the ECI of overreach and bias. Speaking at a combative press conference at the state secretariat, Nabanna, Banerjee alleged that poll officials were “threatening” her government’s officers and acting “under political influence,” even before the Assembly election schedule for the state was announced.

The ECI’s renewed communication, however, underscores its zero-tolerance stance toward procedural lapses and reinforces its commitment to safeguarding the sanctity of the electoral process. With the SIR exercise imminent, the commission’s directives aim to ensure that West Bengal’s voter revision is conducted with rigor, impartiality, and transparency, setting the stage for fair and credible elections next year.

With IANS inputs