Tragic End: UP Booth Level Officer's Final Message Before Suicide Due to Election Work Pressure

Sarvesh Kumar, a 46-year-old teacher working as a Booth Level Officer (BLO), was discovered deceased at his residence in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh. A video has emerged showing what appears to be his final message to his family before his tragic demise.

In the emotional video, Kumar expressed his distress over failing to complete the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists. He asked for his family's forgiveness for "going far from their world" and implored his mother and sister to care for his four daughters.

Kumar was an assistant teacher at a government school who had been assigned BLO responsibilities on October 7. This was his first experience working as a BLO, a grassroots election official tasked with door-to-door collection of voters' information and documentation. His wife Babli discovered him dead early Sunday morning. A note left behind indicated he was overwhelmed by work-related stress from his BLO duties.

In his final video message, Kumar pleaded through tears, "Didi, forgive me, Mummy, please look after my children. I failed in this election work. I am going to take a step, and only I am responsible. No one has any fault. I am very upset. I have not been able to sleep for 20 days. If I had time, I would have finished this work. I have four little daughters. Please forgive me. I am going far away from your world." He also mentioned wanting to live but found the pressure "too much" to bear.

This tragedy occurs amid nationwide concerns about the working conditions of BLOs as the Election Commission conducts Special Intensive Revision in various states to eliminate voter list discrepancies. Multiple BLO deaths have been reported since the SIR process began, with families attributing these losses to work-related stress.

NDTV's interviews with several BLOs revealed they typically work 14-15 hour days for minimal compensation. Additionally, they face the constant threat of disciplinary action if unable to meet strict deadlines.

Kumar belonged to the Dalit community and resided with his family in Bahedi village in Moradabad's Bhojpur area. His family members are demanding severe consequences for the senior officials they believe drove him to this desperate action.