How Are Opposition Parties Leading in Booth Level Agent Appointments During Bihar’s SIR Drive?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Significant rise in BLA appointments across opposition parties.
- Communist Party of India (Marxist) led with an 1083% increase.
- Indian National Congress doubled its BLA count.
- RJD's growth was minimal at 1%.
- Overall mobilization reflects preparation for Bihar Assembly elections.
New Delhi, July 27 (NationPress) In a remarkable turn of events during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) initiative in Bihar, opposition factions have excelled in the appointment of Booth Level Agents (BLAs).
As per the official figures released by the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday, political entities appointed a total of 1.60 lakh BLAs throughout the enumeration phase of the SIR carried out from June 24 to July 25, 2025 - marking a 16 percent rise since the commencement of the initiative.
Noteworthy is the Communist Party of India (Marxist), which experienced an astonishing 1083 percent surge in BLAs, escalating from merely 76 agents prior to SIR to 899 at the close.
Following closely, the Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation saw a 542 percent increase - rising from 233 to 1,496 agents.
The Indian National Congress also demonstrated impressive engagement, doubling its BLA numbers from 8,586 to 17,549 - an uptick of 105 percent. In stark contrast, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), a prominent opposition force in Bihar, exhibited a minimal 1 percent growth, increasing from 47,143 to 47,506 BLAs.
This data effectively dispels any notion that the opposition refrained from or underperformed in the SIR initiative. Instead, it underscores that parties like the Congress, CPI(M), and CPIML actively mobilized at the grassroots to connect with voters and ensure accurate electoral rolls.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), despite maintaining a strong foundation, observed only a 3 percent rise in its BLAs - from 51,964 to 53,338.
The Janata Dal (United) showed moderate growth of 31 percent, increasing its total from 27,931 to 36,550.
The increase in BLA appointments is regarded as a vital indicator of party readiness and grassroots mobilization ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections.
This also signifies a broader political agreement on fostering a cleaner, more inclusive voter registry through active involvement in the SIR process.
While the opposition INDIA Bloc has criticized the electoral commission for holding the SIR initiative just before the Bihar elections, the data provided by the commission illustrates a significant increase in BLA appointments, reflecting the opposition's active presence on the ground during the exercise.