Don’t resort to suicide, Mamata urges BLOs

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee connected Wednesday (November 26, 2025) urged Booth Level Officers (BLOs) not to edifice to suicide and take to extreme steps amid the rising concerns of enactment pressure. This came aft 3 BLOs died successful the State amid the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.

“You should not dice by termination due to the fact that beingness is precise precious, yet they person nary mercy and it took 48 hours just to conscionable the BLOs and perceive to them,” Ms. Banerjee said during a nationalist address.

The Chief Minister cited the deaths of BLOs successful different States, including Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Kerala. BLOs were dying everywhere, the Trinamool Congress chairperson claimed.

“Their demands are justified. They had to wait 48 hours just to get an assemblage with the Chief Electoral Officer [CEO] to marque their grievances heard. To perceive to these basal demands, did they need so overmuch time? Why bash they person truthful overmuch pride?” Ms. Banerjee asked. She came down heavy connected the CEO for not gathering the protesting BLOs and proceeding their grievances.

While criticising the “hurried” SIR process astatine the Constitution Divas code successful Kolkata, the Chief Minister said they would lone abide by the Constitution of B.R. Ambedkar, and not what the Bharatiya Janta Party says.

This comes aft a conception of the BLOs started a protestation extracurricular the CEO, West Bengal bureau successful Kolkata connected Monday and held a sit-in objection for implicit 30 hours as they demanded an assemblage with CEO Manoj Agarwal. They had aggregate grievances, including “unbearable enactment pressure”, amid the ongoing SIR process. These protests were led by BLO Adhikar Raksha Committee, a forum for BLO rights protection.

BLOs successful the State person besides raised concerns astir the choky deadline for completing the door-to-door enumeration form  distribution, collection, and digitisation. They person asked for a deadline hold beyond the stipulated December 4 deadline. Many person besides said that the dilatory portal, deficiency of Internet connectivity, and political pressure are adding to their enactment pressure.

Last week, a pistillate moving arsenic a BLO successful West Bengal’s Nadia territory died by suicide, prompting Ms. Banerjee to rise questions astir however galore lives the SIR process volition cost. In a note, the 52-year-old para teacher Rinku Tarafdar had allegedly blamed the Election Commission for her fate. The enactment was wide shared by TMC leaders connected societal media.

This is the 2nd specified incidental successful Bengal wherever a BLO died by suicide. In different instance, a BLO died nether unnatural circumstances.

(Those successful distress oregon having suicidal thoughts are encouraged to question assistance and counselling by calling the helpline numbers here)