District Election Officer (DEO)/Deputy Commissioner (DC)/CEO, LAHDC Kargil, Shrikant Balasaheb Suse, chaired a meeting with officers and representatives of political parties on March 17 to discuss the appointment of Booth Level Agents (BLAs).

The meeting was attended by Tehsildars (AEROs) from various sub-divisions, SVEEP Nodal Officer, Election Naib Tehsildar, AD DIPR Kargil, and representatives from AAP, BJP, INC, and JKNC.

At the outset, the DEO emphasized the crucial role of BLAs in ensuring an accurate and transparent electoral roll as per the guidelines of the Election Commission of India (ECI). He addressed key concerns related to Electoral Rolls, EPICs, Polling Stations, BLOs, and AEROs, urging political parties to actively participate in the process.

Following deliberations, the DEO directed political parties to appoint BLAs as follows:
•    BLA 1: One representative per tehsil, to be submitted to the Chief Electoral Officer, UT Ladakh.
•    BLA 2: One agent per polling booth, to be submitted to the respective Booth Level Officers (BLOs).

The appointment process must be completed within two weeks. Political party representatives acknowledged the DEO’s efforts in conducting transparent elections and Special Summary Revisions (SSRs) over the past two years and assured compliance within the given timeframe.

Further directives included:
•    AEROs to brief BLOs on their responsibilities.
•    SVEEP Nodal Officer to design a public awareness campaign highlighting the role of BLAs.
•    AD DIPR Kargil to ensure wide publicity of the initiative.
•    DIO, NIC Kargil to regularly update election-related activities on the district website.
•    Election Cell Kargil to collect and maintain BLA data and share updates with the Chief Electoral Officer, UT Ladakh.