DW BUREAU / Chandigarh

Haryana Chief Electoral Officer Pankaj Agarwal, has urged all national and state-recognized political parties in the state to nominate their Booth Level Agents (BLA) and ensure that the list is submitted to the Chief Electoral Officer's office for record-keeping. Pankaj Agarwal said this while presiding over a meeting with representatives of political parties on Saturday . He said that the Election Commission of India has recently directed all Chief Electoral Officers of states and union territories to ensure the appointment of booth-level agents by political parties for each polling station and to maintain a proper record of these appointments.

He said that Haryana has six national-level and two state-recognized political parties. All these parties must appoint Booth Level Agents 1 and 2. The BLA is an authorized person who collects election-related materials from the Election Commission on behalf of their respective party.

Pankaj Agarwal further said that BLAs provide essential voter-related information to Booth Level Officers (BLOs), which plays a key role in preparing an error-free voter list. He recalled that in 2008, the Election Commission recommended the appointment of Booth Level Agents, but most political parties have not taken this responsibility seriously.

He further directed that all political parties must submit details of their BLAs to the Chief Electoral Officer's office by March 3, 2025. Additionally, political parties should authorize one or two individuals in each district to oversee and continue the process of BLA nomination.

Pankaj Agarwal also informed that a two-day workshop for Chief Electoral Officers from all states will be held on March 4 and 5 at the International Institute of Democracy and Election Management in Delhi.

The Election Commission has also scheduled a session on BLA appointments, making it imperative to complete this process on time. He assured that in the future, quarterly meetings with political parties will be held, with the next meeting scheduled in 15 days. Pankaj Agarwal stressed on the importance of using this time effectively to complete all election-related formalities and maintain updated records, including the BLA list.

(editor@dailyworld.in)