EC suspends 5 BLOs over alleged involvement in ruling party campaigning

The Election Commission of India has suspended five Booth Level Officers (BLOs) across West Bengal after allegations that they were actively involved in campaigning for the ruling party. The Commission has also ordered departmental proceedings and directed that FIRs be registered against the accused officials.

Among the suspended officers, three are from the Ashoknagar Assembly constituency in North 24 Parganas district, while two others are from Dubrajpur and Mayureshwar constituencies in Birbhum district. The action follows complaints submitted with documentary and photographic evidence alleging partisan political activity.

In North 24 Parganas, the three BLOs identified as Abhijit De (Part No. 281), Tapan Kumar Saha (Part No. 282), and Kumarjeet Dutta (Part No. 205) were accused of engaging in wall writing and campaigning for the ruling party candidate. After receiving show-cause notices, the Commission found their replies unsatisfactory, with one officer reportedly not responding at all.

In Birbhum district, Manjuri Chatterjee of Dubrajpur was accused of distributing voter slips from within a party office, while another BLO from Mayureshwar was alleged to have distributed voter slips while riding a cycle displaying a political flag. Following verification of complaints, the Commission ordered FIRs and disciplinary action, reinforcing its directive to maintain neutrality among election officials.