India, Nov. 10 -- The Election Commission of India (ECI) has cracked the whip on the 'recalcitrant' Booth Level Officers and Booth Level Agents engaged in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process of the electoral rolls in Bengal. While the Commission has directed lodging of FIRs against 8 BLAs, it has served show cause notices on a similar number of BLOs for alleged dereliction of duty.

The ECI action comes amid complaints from the opposition parties that the Trinamool Congress has hijacked the SIR process by taking the BLOs under its control and preventing the Opposition BLAs from accompanying them during house-to-house distribution of enumeration forms.

"Following receipt of a large number of complaints mainly from the BJP and the...