Kolkata: Tension flared outside the office of West Bengal CEO Monday as members of the BLO Adhikar Raksha Committee staged a demonstration, raising slogans and attempting to breach police barricades just as BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari and several MLAs arrived for a scheduled meeting with EC officials.
Members of the committee, which has been protesting outside the CEO’s office for the past few days, demanding better working conditions for Booth Level Officers (BLOs), intensified their agitation around noon.
Police had cordoned off the area ahead of Adhikari’s visit, but protesters tried to breach barricades and shouted “go back” slogans targeting the BJP delegation.
The group’s sit-in, which officials said had seen limited participation from actual BLOs, gained momentum Monday, drawing additional supporters and triggering sharp verbal exchanges with BJP workers who also gathered outside the office.
Both sides raised slogans and counter-slogans as security personnel tried to maintain order.
Amid the commotion, Adhikari and BJP leaders managed to enter the CEO’s office and submitted a memorandum as per their pre-scheduled appointment.
Officials said the meeting proceeded without disruption despite the protests outside.
The BLO Adhikar Raksha Committee has accused the administration of pressurising BLOs during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision exercise, a charge the ruling Trinamool Congress has dismissed.
The BJP, meanwhile, alleged that the demonstration was politically motivated and aimed at obstructing its delegation’s visit.
Election officials declined to comment on the protests.