ECI directs WB to release honorarium, sets up new polling booths

The ECI directed the WB govt to release honorarium for BLOs and announced new polling stations in high-rises. It also warned TMC against intimidating staff. Separately, Abhishek Banerjee accused the ECI of facilitating 'vote theft' via admin processes.

ECI Directs WB Govt on Poll Preparedness

The Election Commission of India on Wednesday directed the West Bengal government to release the enhanced honorarium, as approved by the polling body, to each Booth Level Officer in the state. The response comes after the ten-member Trinamool Congress delegation met with Chief Election Commissioner of India, Gyanesh Kumar, in the national capital.

ECI said the TMC delegation was informed that polling stations will be set up in high-rise buildings, gated communities, and slums to facilitate voting during the West Bengal assembly elections. "The state government of WB should immediately release the enhanced honorarium as approved by ECI to each BLO. The TMC delegation was informed that polling stations will be set up in high-rise buildings, gated communities and slums to facilitate the voters," ECI said in a statement.

Warning Against Intimidation of Election Staff

Furthermore, ECI directed TMC to ensure that its ground-level political representatives are not involved in threatening any election duty staff, adding that strict action will be taken against any individuals who attempt to take the law into their own hands. "TMC should ensure that their ground-level political representatives are not involved in threatening any staff on election duty. Strict action will be taken against any such miscreant(s) who try to take the law into their own hands," the statement added.

ECI added that Intimidation of any electoral staff, including BLOs, EROs, AEROs, Observers, etc., by political representatives' workers will not be tolerated. "Intimidation of any electoral staff, including BLOs, EROs, AEROs, Observers, etc., by political representatives' workers will not be tolerated," said the ECI.

TMC Accuses ECI of Facilitating 'Vote Theft'

Accusing the Election Commission of India (ECI) of facilitating "vote theft," Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee on Wednesday claimed that electoral manipulation does not occur through Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), but through administrative processes linked to voter list revisions. Abhishek Banerjee led a ten-member Trinamool Congress that met the Chief Election Commissioner of India in the national capital.

Citing the BJP's unusually high strike rate in recent state elections, Banerjee pointed to victories in Maharashtra, Delhi, Haryana, and Bihar, where the party won with an over 88 per cent success rate. He questioned whether this pattern was merely a coincidence, asserting that opposition parties such as the Congress, AAP, and RJD failed to identify and challenge these systemic issues in a timely manner.

"I want to reiterate that these are the same mistakes that the Congress committed in the past, which AAP also failed to point out, and even RJD in Bihar failed to raise, leading to BJP winning with over an 88 percent strike rate. BJP won Maharashtra, Delhi, and Bihar with an 88 percent strike rate. Is this some coincidence? This is vote theft. Vote theft does not happen through EVMs. No other political party was able to point this out in other states," Abhishek Banerjee told reporters. (ANI)

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