In Kannur, Kerala, 44-year-old Anish George, a government school employee serving as a BLO, was found dead on Sunday. His family alleged that the stress of SIR duties, combined with mounting deadlines, drove him to take his life. Hours later in Jaipur, Rajasthan, 48-year-old government school teacher and BLO Mukesh Kumar Jangid died after stepping in front of a train. A suicide note recovered from his pocket accused senior officials of harassment, undue pressure, and threats of suspension.
In Kolkata, another BLO has been hospitalised, with family members stating he was overwhelmed by workload related to the revision programme.
The EC said that 97.52% of SIR forms have been distributed across Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Lakshadweep. The second phase of the drive, which began on 4 November, will run until 4 December.
Amid rising unrest, Kerala’s BLOs announced a state-wide boycott of duties on Monday. Civil service associations plan protest marches to the Chief Electoral Officer’s office and district collectorates, alleging that BLOs are being compelled to revise voter rolls published more than two decades ago without adequate time or support.
In West Bengal, where the voter base stands at 7.66 crore, officials reported that 7.61 crore forms have been distributed, covering 99.42% of the electorate as of Sunday evening.
The SIR exercise precedes assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, and West Bengal in 2026, while Assam’s revision schedule will be announced separately. Authorities have yet to comment on the allegations of harassment faced by field-level staff.
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