📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Chongkian
Politics
Election Commission Introduces ‘Mark VIP’ Feature in BLO App Amid SIR Controversy
✍️ deccanherald.com
🗓 26 Sep 2026, 06:46 AM
👁 9
The Election Commission of India has rolled out a new ‘Mark VIP’ option in the Booth Level Officer (BLO) application to flag voters requiring special attention, following criticism over the recent SIR (Special Investigation Report) dispute.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has added a new "Mark VIP" function to the Booth Level Officer (BLO) mobile application. The move comes as the commission faces scrutiny over the handling of the recent Special Investigation Report (SIR) controversy, which raised questions about the identification and treatment of high‑profile voters.
Under the new feature, BLOs can tag a voter as "VIP" within the app, prompting additional verification steps and ensuring that polling staff allocate appropriate resources on election day. The functionality is intended to streamline the process of safeguarding the voting experience for individuals who may be at risk or require special assistance.
Election officials said the addition is a technical response to operational gaps highlighted during the SIR row, and it does not alter any existing legal framework for voter classification. The commission has instructed state election officers to train BLOs on the updated interface before the upcoming local body elections.
Stakeholders, including political parties and civil‑society groups, have welcomed the transparency measure but urged the ECI to monitor its implementation closely to prevent misuse. The commission affirmed that the feature will be reviewed after the next electoral cycle to assess its effectiveness.
Under the new feature, BLOs can tag a voter as "VIP" within the app, prompting additional verification steps and ensuring that polling staff allocate appropriate resources on election day. The functionality is intended to streamline the process of safeguarding the voting experience for individuals who may be at risk or require special assistance.
Election officials said the addition is a technical response to operational gaps highlighted during the SIR row, and it does not alter any existing legal framework for voter classification. The commission has instructed state election officers to train BLOs on the updated interface before the upcoming local body elections.
Stakeholders, including political parties and civil‑society groups, have welcomed the transparency measure but urged the ECI to monitor its implementation closely to prevent misuse. The commission affirmed that the feature will be reviewed after the next electoral cycle to assess its effectiveness.