BLO hospitalised after stroke amid electoral roll revision work in Bengal
TMC blames work pressure from SIR exercise, Election Commission yet to respond
A Booth Level Officer (BLO) involved in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district has been hospitalised after suffering a brain stroke, officials said on Sunday.
Mehboob Rehman Mollah, the BLO for the Mathurapur block in the Raidighi area, complained of physical discomfort late on Saturday night. He was initially taken to Diamond Harbour Hospital and later referred to a hospital in Kolkata for advanced treatment.
The incident has triggered sharp political reactions, with the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) alleging that excessive work pressure linked to the SIR exercise led to his medical condition. The party blamed both the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the BJP-led central government for what it described as “unbearable stress” faced by election workers.
According to Mollah’s family, he had been engaged in the SIR exercise since 4 November at booth number 110 of Mathurapur block II, often working for more than 20 hours a day while also managing his duties as a school teacher. They said the pressure intensified after several voters at his booth received hearing notices as part of the revision process.
In a strongly worded post on X, the TMC described the SIR as “soulless” and accused the Election Commission of imposing unrealistic targets. The party said the 52-year-old officer had collapsed under sustained pressure and was now fighting for his life in hospital.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee had earlier raised concerns over the conduct of the SIR exercise. In a letter dated 12 January to the chief election commissioner, she claimed the process had already resulted in 77 deaths, four suicide attempts and at least 17 cases of serious illness requiring hospitalisation. She attributed these incidents to fear, intimidation and disproportionate workload arising from what she termed an unplanned exercise.
The Election Commission has not yet responded to the latest allegations.
With PTI input