BLO App Glitch: Fear of Voter Name Deletion! Officials in Trouble Due to App Glitch, Many May Receive Notice

BLO App Glitch: A major technical snag in the BLO (Booth Level Officer) App has once again disrupted the ongoing SIR (Special Summary Revision) process for voter list updation in West Bengal. Officials are facing severe difficulties in linking current voter data with historical records due to glitches in the Election Commission’s designated app. This malfunction has raised serious concerns that the names of many genuine voters could be deleted from the list, leading to unnecessary notices and panic among the public.

2002 Voter List Missing in App

The core of the problem lies in a specific technical error within the BLO App. When Booth Level Officers attempt to upload SIR forms or verify data, they are unable to locate the 2002 voter list within the app’s system.

• ‘Not Found’ Error: While officials possess the hard copies of the 2002 voter list physically, the app fails to display this data. Instead, it shows a “Not Found” message on the screen.
• Linking Failure: Since the 2002 list is invisible in the app database, linking the information of current voters with the old records has become impossible. This digital linking process is crucial for creating an error-free voter roll.

Worst Affected Areas

While the issue has been reported across the state, certain districts are facing the brunt of it. Complaints regarding this app glitch are highest from the Nadia district. Additionally, several areas in North 24 Parganas, such as Amdanga and Shasan, as well as parts of Kolkata, are witnessing similar hurdles where BLOs are stuck in the process.

Potential Consequences for Common Voters

This technical failure is not just increasing the workload for officials but also posing a significant risk to general voters.

• Risk of Name Deletion: The draft electoral roll is scheduled to be published on December 9. If the data is not correctly linked via the app before this deadline, there is a high probability that the names of many valid voters might get dropped from the draft list.
• Unnecessary Harassment & Notices: Despite their names being present in the hard copies, the lack of digital linking might lead the Election Commission’s system to assume a data mismatch. Consequently, ‘Show-Cause’ notices could be sent to these voters, causing undue harassment and confusion.

Commission’s Action and Current Status

The voter list revision work has hit this roadblock at the very final stage.

1. Work Progress: Approximately 85% of the form digitization and uploading work has already been completed in the state. The remaining 15% is now stuck due to this last-minute glitch.
2. Race Against Time: There are only a few days left (approximately 7 days) to complete the enumeration form upload and finalize the digitization process.
3. Intervention by Higher Authorities: Recognizing the urgency, the District Magistrate of Nadia and several EROs have escalated the matter to the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of the state. The CEO’s office has immediately flagged the issue to the Technical and IT experts of the National Election Commission, and efforts are underway to resolve the problem swiftly.

Currently, BLOs are under immense pressure to meet the deadline, while common voters remain anxious about the inclusion of their names in the upcoming list. It remains to be seen how quickly the Commission can rectify this technical glitch.