# EC adds ‘Mark VIP’ feature in BLO app amid electoral roll row

2026-09-25T07:36:59+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 3 independent outlets

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has added a new 'Mark VIP' feature to the mobile application used by booth-level officers (BLOs), the Apple Appstore records show. The app was updated on July 31 with the description 'mark VIP elector related changes', according to a Hindustan Times report. The update came during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in 16 states and three Union territories, including Delhi, where prominent figures like Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Arvind Kejriwal received notices. EC sources told the Times of India that the instruction to flag prominent electors is a routine practice from past summary revisions, not unique to the SIR. The term 'VIP' was not used in official orders but appeared in the app description, an officer said. The row follows an Indian Express report about internal dissent within the EC over the SIR exercise. The EC said differing views are normal and all orders are unanimous. Delhi's final electoral roll is to be published on November 4.

## Indian Opinion Analysis

Deccan Herald's neutral report and Times Now's factual account both note the app update and the political context. The Times of India, however, frames the feature as a routine administrative instruction from past summary revisions, downplaying the novelty. This difference matters because the core controversy is whether the EC introduced a special facility for VIPs during a disputed SIR process. The EC's own explanation that 'VIP' was never in official orders but appeared in the app description leaves the anomaly unexplained. The coming weeks will test whether the EC's procedural defence holds against opposition allegations of bias, with the final roll publication on November 4 as a key milestone.

## Coverage

- deccanherald.com (neutral report) <https://www.deccanherald.com/india/election-commission-adds-mark-vip-feature-in-blo-app-amid-sir-row-4159091>
  Straight factual report on the app update, no editorial framing.
- timesnownews.com (government critical) <https://www.timesnownews.com/india/mark-vip-election-commission-adds-new-feature-to-blo-app-midway-through-sir-exercise-article-156221740>
  Leads with controversy, foregrounds political row and opposition criticism.
- timesofindia.indiatimes.com (pro government) <https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/marking-vips-routine-was-part-of-ssr-even-before-sir-officials/articleshow/134495079.cms>
  Defends EC by framing feature as routine, downplays controversy.

Tags: Arvind Kejriwal, BLO app, Delhi, Election Commission of India, Rekha Gupta, SIR
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