West Bengal Poll Officials Stage Massive Protest Over Working Conditions and Mental Health Concerns

Grassroots poll officials in West Bengal - at the centre of a controversy over mental health and working conditions during voter list revisions - organized a massive protest Monday afternoon outside the Chief Electoral Officer's Kolkata office. Visuals from news agency ANI revealed booth-level officers (BLOs) and other protesters confronting police in riot gear.

The demonstration, organized by the BLO Adhikar Raksha Committee, erupted shortly before BJP's Suvendhu Adhikari, the Leader of the Opposition, arrived with lawmakers for a scheduled meeting. Despite police securing the area, protesters attempted to push through; some tried breaking barricades while others shouted 'go back' at the BJP representatives.

Tensions escalated when BJP workers also appeared; both sides exchanged slogans and counter-slogans - the opposition party has alleged the ruling Trinamool caused poll workers' deaths by withholding necessary resources - as police worked to maintain order.

Despite the unrest, Adhikari and BJP leaders managed to enter the building.

#WATCH | Kolkata, West Bengal: Booth Level Officers (BLOs) engaged in SIR exercise hold a protest outside the office of the Election Commission.

"The Trinamool government that speaks against the SIR (Special Intensive Revision) ... why would they pay an honorarium to booth-level officers?" Adhikari remarked afterwards, echoing BJP state unit chief Samik Bhattacharya, who urged EC boss Gyanesh Kumar to "come and see for himself the conditions under which BLOs are working..."

#WATCH | Kolkata | West Bengal LoP and BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari says, "The TMC government that speaks against the SIR, why would they pay honorarium to the booth level officers (BLOs). They will have to pay them...It is not right to speak against the SIR exercise"

Bhattacharya's critical comments followed a letter from the EC to police requesting additional security for BLOs.

Neither the Trinamool nor the Bengal administration has responded to the protest yet, though the party has condemned the SIR as an "exclusionary" process intended to "push Bengalis out" of voter rolls, claiming Gyanesh Kumar had "blood on his hands".

Many BLOs - in Bengal and other states conducting voter re-verification exercises - have highlighted concerns about pressure, poor working conditions, and inadequate compensation (Rs 1,000 monthly) affecting their health and personal lives.

NDTV Special | Deaths, Suicides, Resignations: BLOs Pushed To Edge

BLOs are ground-level workers responsible for door-to-door visits to register new voters, update information, and remove duplicate or ineligible names, often traveling considerable distances despite maintaining regular employment.

NDTV Special | Long Hours, Little Pay, Extreme Pressure: A BLO's Life

In recent weeks, multiple BLO deaths have been reported, revealing disturbing circumstances.

A 46-year-old school teacher from Uttar Pradesh's Moradabad left behind an emotional video seeking forgiveness from his family. In another case last week, Pinky Singh from Uttar Pradesh's Noida resigned, citing the impossibility of maintaining her job while verifying 1,179 voters in a residential colony 10 km away.

READ | "Look After My Kids": Video Of UP Poll Official Before Suicide

BLO deaths have also occurred in Kerala - Aneesh George died by suicide; Rajasthan - Hariom Bairwa died allegedly under pressure from senior poll officials; and Gujarat - four teachers died after handling 'disproportionate and unbearable workloads during the SIR process'.

'Imposed tyranny', says opposition

Trinamool leader Mamata Banerjee has strongly criticized the EC on this issue, demanding suspension of the exercise due to "inhuman" work pressure. She stated BLOs are "operating far beyond human limits," condemning the electoral commission for intimidating workers.

READ | 'BLOs Operating Beyond Human Limits': Mamata Banerjee To EC Chief

The voter roll re-verification in Bengal - months before elections - has ignited an intense political and legal dispute, with opposition parties including Trinamool accusing the EC and the BJP-led central government of manipulating voters to win elections.