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BLO Boycotts and Deaths Put India’s Voter Roll Revision Under Strain

Mounting workload complaints under a compressed schedule have triggered protests, boycotts and court action.

Kerala government employees under the banner of the Secretariat Action Council stage a protest outside the Election Commission’s office over the alleged stress-induced suicide of a Booth Level Officer involved in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), in Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala on Monday. (PTI PHOTO)
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Overview

  • Thousands of booth-level officers in Kerala boycotted Special Intensive Revision duties and marched on election offices, demanding a deferment of the drive.
  • The Indian Union Muslim League filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the exercise, citing the alleged stress-linked suicide of a BLO in Kannur.
  • Kerala’s Chief Electoral Officer reported 95.89% form distribution to 26.7 million people, while unions accused supervisors of pressing BLOs to upload inaccurate data.
  • Kannur’s district collector said the deceased officer had only 50 forms left to hand out, a claim union leaders disputed as they pressed for extended timelines, training, added staff, an end to midnight reviews and a one-month honorarium.
  • The unrest widened as Tamil Nadu’s revenue employees’ federation announced a statewide boycott from November 18 and Rajasthan reported a BLO death with a note alleging pressure, while a BLO in Kasaragod was hospitalized after collapsing on duty.