In the midst of India’s ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, a wave of grief and controversy has swept across two states following the deaths of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) burdened by mounting pressure and relentless deadlines. The tragedies in West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh have cast a stark light on the human cost of the country’s ambitious voter list update drive, as officials, families, and political leaders grapple with questions of responsibility, reform, and compassion.
On November 21, 2025, Samik Bhattacharya, the president of West Bengal’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), leveled serious accusations against the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), alleging that the party was putting undue pressure on BLOs to upload “incorrect” documents and voters during the SIR process. According to the Asian News International (ANI), Bhattacharya did not mince words: “Our stance is clear – detect, delete, and deport, but Mamata Banerjee says that if someone has slipped through, so what, their name should still remain on the voter list, the names of Rohingya, Bangladeshi Muslim infiltrators, everyone’s names should be on the voter list... This is their agenda, and they know it’s not possible.” He went further, claiming, “TMC is pressuring BLOs to upload incorrect voters and documents; there’s increasing mental pressure on them. SIR is happening in 12 states, but is there any commotion in any other state? The commotion is only happening in West Bengal...”
The political crossfire comes in the wake of the death of Shanti Muni Ekka, a tribal woman and anganwadi worker serving as a BLO in Mal, Jalpaiguri, West Bengal. On Wednesday, Ekka took her own life, reportedly overwhelmed by the “unbearable pressure” of SIR work. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed deep sorrow and outrage, stating on X (formerly Twitter), “Deeply shocked and saddened. Today again, we lost a Booth Level Officer in Mal, Jalpaiguri – Smt Shanti Muni Ekka, a tribal lady, an anganwadi worker who took her own life under the unbearable pressure of the ongoing SIR work. 28 people have already lost their lives since SIR began – some due to fear and uncertainty, others due to stress and overload.”
Banerjee’s statement did not stop at condolences. She sharply criticized the Election Commission of India (ECI) for what she described as an “unplanned, relentless workload,” claiming that a process which previously took three years was now being crammed into two months, just ahead of elections. “Such precious lives are being lost because of the unplanned, relentless workload imposed by the so-called Election Commission of India. A process that earlier took 3 years is now being forced into 2 months on the eve of elections to please political masters, putting inhuman pressure on BLOs. I urge the ECI to act with conscience and immediately halt this unplanned drive before more lives are lost,” Banerjee pleaded, according to ANI.
Meanwhile, tragedy struck in Madhya Pradesh’s Udaigarh janpad, where Bhuvan Singh, an assistant teacher and BLO in Soliya gram panchayat, died on the evening of November 19, 2025. As reported by the Free Press Journal, Singh had been suspended just a day earlier by the District Election Officer, Jhabua, in a SIR work negligence case. For months, Singh had struggled under the weight of dual responsibilities: his regular teaching duties and the demanding tasks of a BLO. The deadlines were “extremely short, while the workload was much greater,” and his family described how the suspension order “completely broke him.”
According to his relatives, Singh became depressed, stressed, and restless after receiving the suspension notice. He lost sleep, could not eat, and remained uneasy throughout the day. On Wednesday evening, he collapsed suddenly; despite his family’s rush to the Community Health Centre in Bori, doctors declared him dead. Singh’s last rites were performed in his native village, Dedarvasa, on November 20, 2025.
Singh’s fellow BLOs in the region voiced their frustration and sorrow, telling the Free Press Journal that the SIR survey, voter list updates, door-to-door verifications, and online entries—combined with “constantly changing instructions”—had made their work unbearable. “The workload on BLOs has steadily increased, but they have received no technical support,” they lamented. Despite shouldering these extra duties, teacher BLOs like Singh received “neither assistance nor relief.”
The suspension order that preceded Singh’s death cited slow work progress, failure to submit verifications on time, and delays in following election instructions. However, colleagues and family members argued that such harsh punishments failed to account for the realities faced by BLOs on the ground—especially in rural areas, where network connectivity issues and the sheer volume of work make delays and errors almost inevitable. “Did the suspension complete the pending work? The head of the family died due to stress and depression and no official even came to inquire about his well-being,” Singh’s family said, demanding greater support, including compassionate appointments for affected families.
Across both states, the deaths have sparked a wider debate about the treatment and well-being of BLOs, often considered the backbone of India’s electoral machinery. These officers, typically drawn from the ranks of teachers and local government workers, are tasked with verifying voter lists, conducting door-to-door surveys, and ensuring the accuracy of electoral rolls. The SIR, designed to weed out ineligible voters and update records ahead of crucial elections, has dramatically increased their workload—especially this year, with the ECI’s compressed timeline.
Political reactions have been swift and sharp. The BJP in West Bengal has seized on the issue to criticize the TMC, alleging that the ruling party’s priorities have led to manipulation and undue pressure on BLOs. The TMC, on the other hand, points the finger at the ECI and the central government, arguing that the rushed and “inhuman” revision process is to blame for the mounting toll on frontline workers. In Madhya Pradesh, teacher unions and local officials have echoed calls for better support, clearer guidelines, and more realistic expectations from election authorities.
What emerges from these tragedies is a portrait of dedicated public servants caught in a web of political agendas, bureaucratic haste, and logistical hurdles. The stories of Shanti Muni Ekka and Bhuvan Singh—both respected in their communities, both overwhelmed by the demands of their roles—have resonated far beyond their home states. Their families, colleagues, and supporters are demanding not just compensation, but a fundamental rethink of how India manages its vast and complex electoral machinery.
As the SIR continues in states across the country, the debate over workload, welfare, and responsibility for BLOs is far from over. For now, the deaths of Ekka and Singh serve as a somber reminder: behind every voter list and every election statistic, there are real people whose sacrifices too often go unseen and unacknowledged.