Kolkata: “The bloody death march of SIR rages on, claiming yet another innocent soul in its merciless grip,” the TMC said after a BLO died shortly after the publication of the electoral roll on February 28.
The deceased, Mohammad Tahir (50), was the BLO of Booth 69 in Ward 7 of Kamarhati. According to the party, Tahir succumbed to a fatal cardiac arrest allegedly triggered by the intense workload linked to the
Special Intensive Revision exercise and the subsequent release of the voters’ list.
Allegedly, Tahir had been under stress in the days leading up to and following the publication of the final rolls.
His own name appeared as “under adjudication”, which the ruling party described as deeply distressing for an official responsible for managing the process on the ground. Family members said he had been under intense pressure due to a flood of calls from voters after the roll was released, and was reportedly distressed as his own name appeared under adjudication in the list in West Bengal. The TMC also criticised the Election Commission of India and the BJP, accusing them of imposing “impossible deadlines” and creating widespread anxiety through the revision drive.