BLOs Are Succumbing To Excessive Pressure But ECI In Tearing Hurry To Conduct SIR: SC Told

While the Election Commission is a “tearing hurry” to conduct its special intensive revision (SIR) of India’s electoral polls across India, the BLOs who are tasked with the data collection are under severe pressure, with some having committed suicide due to the same, the Supreme Court was told on Wednesday, November 26, 2025. 

Appearing from Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR), advocate Prashant Bhushan told a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi saying that there had been several reports of BLOs taking their own lives as they are unable to cope with the workload. 

Appearing for the ECI, senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi denied this allegation, saying there are no record of such deaths in the documents filed by ADR.

As per news reports, at least six BLOs in Kerala, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and West Bengal have allegedly died by suicide, with their families alleging that it is due to the pressure of the SIR work.  

Earlier on Tuesday, the apex court had issued notice on Kerala’s plea that the SIR be deferred. On this, on Wednesday, the ECI told court that the national commission and the state commission in Kerala were coordinating with State officials and District Collectors. 

“There is no problem to hold SIR in the State now. SEC has said only a small section of BLOs required. The Election Commission is not finding any problem. Different people have been allotted BLO duties from those deployed in the LSGI elections. 99 per cent enumeration forms have been distributed in Kerala. 70 per cent forms have been digitised,” the EC said, adding, it will file a short affidavit to this effect. 

Appearing for Kerala and West Bengal, Senior advocate Kapil Sibal pointed to certain arbitrary rules for the BLOs to the top court. He asked: “BLOs are distributing 50 enumeration forms every day, but after December 4, they can only distribute only 10. Why should BLOs not be allowed to continue to file 50 after December 4?”

Dwivedi told court that political parties who are opposed to the SIR are creating problems in its implementation. 

As the matter was set to be listed for December 9, Sibal told court that the petitioners were prepared for main arguments.

“CJI Surya Kant today was meant for arguing the main matter,” he said. Dwivedi also added that the case should not be argued piecemeal.

To this, the CJI told the lawyers to gather at 2 pm and tell the Bench how much time each one would require to argue their case. 

 “In my early years as a HC judge, I asked a young lawyer how much time he would take to argue his case. Pat came the reply, “as long as it takes to convince you,” the CJI quipped. 

The court also asked the EC and Kerala Election Commission to file composite replies to petitions seeking deferment of Kerala SIR. The top court also directed the West Bengal State Election Commission, West Bengal government to file replies to petitions challenging SIR second phase.