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by IANS |
Kolkata, Dec 29 (IANS) Trinamool Congress MLA Asit Majumdar on Monday disrupted the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) hearing process at a centre in West Bengal’s Hooghly district, demanding that booth-level agents (BLAs) of his party be allowed to remain present during the proceedings.
The action came a day after TMC All India General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee issued similar instructions during a virtual meeting with the party’s BLAs. The hearing process remained suspended for nearly two hours before Majumdar withdrew his protest, citing humanitarian concerns. However, the incident created considerable commotion in the Chinsurah area of the district.
The SIR hearing process began in West Bengal last Saturday amid allegations of procedural flaws. Critics have claimed that notices are being issued indiscriminately, including to voters whose names featured in the 2002 electoral rolls. Complaints have also been raised about elderly and ailing individuals being summoned to distant centres and made to wait for extended periods. The Trinamool Congress has repeatedly voiced its opposition to the process.
At around 11 am, Majumdar, the TMC MLA from Chuchura, arrived at the Chinsurah-Mogra block office along with his supporters and began a sit-in protest, effectively halting the ongoing hearings. He insisted that hearings be conducted in the presence of party BLAs and that agents be permitted entry into the centre. Failing this, he demanded a written explanation from the Election Commission. His insistence led to heated exchanges with poll officials and a brief standoff.
Amid the turmoil, the centre’s gates were shut, resulting in long queues of voters outside, many of them elderly. Uncertainty prevailed over when the hearings would resume, causing visible distress among those waiting.
Speaking to the media, Majumdar alleged widespread mismanagement. “People are being summoned indiscriminately. Government employees, pensioners, passport holders, and even those whose names appeared in the 2002 voter list are being called for hearings. This is unacceptable,” he said.
He further asserted that the hearing process could not proceed without the presence of BLAs. “Why are booth-level agents not allowed inside? Let the Commission put its stand in writing. We will not allow a single legitimate voter’s name to be removed. We will fight as instructed by our leaders Abhishek Banerjee and Mamata Banerjee,” Majumdar said.
The MLA also threatened to expand the protest to the Polba BDO office and the SDO’s office, and spoke to the Sub-Divisional Officer over the phone from the hearing centre. Responding to criticism over inconvenience to voters, he said, “The Commission is already harassing ordinary people. We are trying to protect them.”
Senior police and administrative officials, including Mogra Police Station IC Soumen Biswas and Chinsurah-Mogra BDO Rajiv Poddar, were present at the spot and held discussions with the MLA. Subsequently, Majumdar announced the withdrawal of the protest.
“Many people are standing in line. For humanitarian reasons, I allowed the hearing to resume. But if booth-level agents are not allowed inside, the hearing will be suspended again from Tuesday,” he warned.
On Sunday, Abhishek Banerjee had told party workers during a virtual meeting that the TMC would pursue legal options, if required, over the issue of BLAs’ presence during SIR hearings. He also instructed party leaders to set up assistance camps outside hearing centres to support the public.
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