Mamata claims 28 BLOs died in WB since SIR began, blames ECI's ‘inhuman’ workload
After death of an anganwadi worker in Jalpaiguri, Bengal chief minister demands immediate halt to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday, 19 November, sharply criticised the Election Commission of India (ECI), alleging that the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has created “inhuman” pressure on the booth level officers. She claimed that 28 BLOs have died since the process began in the state.
Her remarks came hours after an anganwadi worker deployed as a BLO in Mal block of Jalpaiguri district was found dead, with local officials indicating suicide. Calling the incident “heartbreaking”, Banerjee said the woman had been pushed beyond endurance by the workload mandated by the revision exercise.
In a strongly worded statement on X, Banerjee wrote, “Deeply shocked and saddened. Today again, we lost a Booth Level Officer in Mal, Jalpaiguri — an anganwadi worker who took her own life under the unbearable pressure of the ongoing SIR work.”
She alleged that multiple deaths have occurred due to “fear, uncertainty, stress and sheer overwork”, and accused the ECI of forcing into two months a process that traditionally took nearly three years. Banerjee claimed the compressed timeline was driven by political considerations ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
“Such precious lives are being lost because of the unplanned, relentless workload imposed by the so-called Election Commission of India,” she said, urging the ECI to “act with conscience” and immediately suspend the drive. “If this continues, more lives may be lost.”
TMC leaders have repeatedly accused the ECI of advancing verification deadlines and issuing unrealistic targets, resulting in BLOs travelling long distances daily, working extended hours and facing pressure from local officials to complete checks within strict cut-offs. The ruling party claims several workers have collapsed on duty in recent weeks.
There was no immediate reaction from the ECI to Banerjee’s allegations.
Opposition parties, however, dismissed the chief minister’s charges, arguing that the deaths reflected poor support systems for field workers under the state government. They accused the TMC of attempting to deflect administrative lapses by shifting blame to the ECI.