Parties rush to add poll agents in Bihar as voter list review gathers pace

Business Standard

13 hours ago

The Election Commission of India's (ECI's) special intensive review of Bihar's electoral rolls ahead of Assembly elections later this year has prompted political parties in the state, including those in the opposition, to increase the number of their booth-level agents (BLAs) to coordinate with the poll machinery during the preparation and revision of the voters' list, PTI reported on Wednesday.
BLAs are empowered to raise claims and objections about the inclusion or deletion of voters and help prevent arbitrary decisions by election officials.
According to the latest data, the number of BLAs from recognised national parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Indian National Congress (INC), Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)], and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), has grown significantly, with some parties adding substantial numbers. The CPI(M), for instance, has increased its BLAs from 76 to 578, while the Congress has nearly doubled its count from 8,586 to 16,500.
Booth-level agent deployment
Party BLAs Before Review BLAs After Review Change
Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) 51,964 52,698 734
Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) 76 578 502 (manifold increase)
Indian National Congress (INC) 8,586 16,500 7,914 (doubled)
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) 26 74 48
Various opposition parties have criticised the ECI's review, claiming the exercise could deprive genuine voters of their right to vote and would benefit the ruling dispensation in Bihar.
According to a report published in The Hindu, the exercise is causing considerable confusion in parts of the state. The report noted that in Saran district's Chhapra town, people are unaware of the review and many villagers are not literate enough to understand and fill out the enumeration form.
Electoral rolls have been prepared afresh through intensive revisions — either across the country or in parts — nine times in the 52-year period from 1952 to 2004, averaging nearly once every six years. However, no intensive revision has been carried out in the past 22 years.
ECI expands ground workforce
The ECI has already appointed nearly 78,000 Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and is in the process of appointing about 21,000 more for new polling stations.
It recently held training sessions for BLAs from eight political parties in Bihar to familiarise them with their roles and responsibilities.
Bihar is the first of five states to undergo the review; Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal are scheduled for similar exercises ahead of their Assembly elections in the first half of 2026.
The ECI has stated that the aim of the review is to separate genuine voters from illegal foreign migrants, mainly from Bangladesh and Myanmar.