A five-day special training camp for Booth Level Officers (BLOs) is currently underway in West Bengal, fueling speculation of a possible Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the state’s electoral rolls. The camp, which began on July 24 and continues till July 28, kicked off at Nazrul Mancha in Kolkata with participation from seven BLOs each from all 108 assembly constituencies of the Presidency Division.
Although West Bengal’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Agarwal maintained that the camp is part of a “normal” training exercise, political parties and observers view it as groundwork for the rollout of SIR, especially with the 2026 Assembly elections approaching. Similar revision drives were recently conducted in poll-bound Bihar, adding weight to the speculation.
Scale of training unprecedented, says CEO
Speaking virtually with BLOs on Friday, CEO Manoj Agarwal highlighted the large scale of the exercise. “There are currently around 81,000 polling booths in the state. We plan to increase this number to 95,000 by adding 14,000 new booths. Consequently, 14,000 new BLOs will be appointed,” he said.
Agarwal added that this is the first time such an extensive and structured BLO training programme is being conducted in the state.
When questioned about the possible launch of SIR, Agarwal reiterated, “This is not under my jurisdiction. The Election Commission will take the final call on that.” However, he admitted that the topic is part of the training content: “Every subject, including SIR, is being covered in the BLO training.”
Sources within the state’s Election Commission have also hinted that Bengal may see the launch of SIR soon, based on directives and indications from the National Election Commission.
Expanding role of BLOs in electoral verification
The training focuses on key responsibilities of BLOs such as revising Forms 6, 7, and 8, and conducting grassroots-level voter verification. The voter cap per booth has also been reduced from 1,575 to 1,200, further necessitating the recruitment and training of additional BLOs.
“BLOs will have to visit every household to ensure a clean, updated and inclusive voter list,” Agarwal said.
Recent developments signal impending electoral overhaul
Two recent instructions from the Election Commission have further intensified speculation. One is administrative independence as the state government has been asked to declare the CEO’s office as an independent department with its own budget. The second one is special allowances for BLOs engaged in the SIR process. They will receive special allowances, suggesting administrative preparedness for the rollout.
While training began with the Presidency Division in Kolkata, similar camps have already been conducted in the Malda and Burdwan divisions. Sessions are ongoing in West Midnapore, with Jalpaiguri’s scheduled for July 28. Following these divisional rounds, district-level training will be held to ensure that all BLOs across West Bengal are adequately trained.
Political stakes high as election nears
With assembly elections scheduled in several states next year, including West Bengal, political parties believe the current training initiative is the first step toward a full-scale electoral revision, akin to Bihar’s recent model. The days ahead are likely to witness more clarity from the Election Commission on the official status of SIR in Bengal.