West Bengal’s Leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, has accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of attempting to “intimidate” booth-level officers (BLOs) and undermine the Election Commission of India (ECI). In a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, Adhikari alleged that Banerjee’s recent statements constitute “direct interference” in the electoral process, threatening its integrity.

Adhikari pointed to Banerjee’s remarks at a Bolpur event, where she expressed displeasure over the training of 1,000 BLOs in Delhi without informing her or the Chief Secretary. He claimed she implied BLOs, as state employees, owe allegiance to the state government rather than the ECI, and instructed them to prevent voter list deletions. Adhikari called this a “veiled attempt to coerce” BLOs, potentially for political motives.

Urging the ECI to investigate, Adhikari demanded measures to protect BLOs from pressure and ensure voter list revisions follow ECI guidelines. He also highlighted alleged irregularities, including improper BLO appointments and suspicious voter list entries in constituencies like Baruipur Purba and Moyna. “This is a battle of intent,” he said, stressing the need for a defect-free electoral roll.

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