Following allegations of deaths and FIRs against ground-level officials, the Supreme Court issued a series of orders to relieve the burden of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) working in the Election Commission’s ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in various states. A bench consisting of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi remarked that employees deputed by state governments and SECs (State Election Commissions) “are obligated to perform such duties,” and that state governments should intercede whenever BLOs suffer difficulties.
The CJI-led Bench recommended that state governments contribute additional staff to the ECI, allowing for a corresponding reduction in working hours. The top court was hearing an application filed by Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), led by actor-politician Vijay, to safeguard BLOs from coercive action under Section 32 of the Representation of the People Act. In its suit to the Supreme Court, the Tamil Nadu-based party identified 35-40 deaths of BLOs nationally as a result of intense work pressure during the SIR operation.
Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, representing the TVK, highlighted issues regarding FIRs filed in Uttar Pradesh related to Anganwadi workers and teachers being compelled to perform SIR work during non-working hours. He cited a tragic case of a young man who, after being denied leave for his wedding, committed suicide, emphasizing that the system is failing. The TVK’s application points to multiple suicides across various states, attributing them to excessive workloads, intimidation, and threats of criminal action.
The application, filed by advocate Yash S. Vijay, requests an extension of SIR deadlines to March 2026, arguing that the current timeline is unreasonable and has resulted in fatalities, even after an extension was previously announced by the ECI.
