TW: Mentions of suicide.
A video of deceased Moradabad BLO Sarvesh Kumar reveals he felt overwhelmed by the pressure of electoral roll duties and had not slept for 20 days.
Kumar, a teacher assigned BLO work for the first time, left a note blaming unmanageable workload.
His death adds to nationwide concern over the conditions faced by BLOs during the Special Intensive Revision of voter lists.
A booth-level officer (BLO) posted in Baheri village of Moradabad district ended his life, leaving behind a suicide note that pointed to overwhelming work pressure linked to electoral roll duties.
The 46-year-old Sarvesh Kumar, who was an assistant teacher in a government school, was found hanging in his home early Sunday morning.
A video believed to be his final message has surfaced, revealing the extent of desperation he faced while handling election-related duties.
This was his first time managing the intensive documentation work required during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls — a nationwide exercise aimed at fixing errors in voter lists.
In the emotional video, Kumar, fighting back tears, apologises to his mother, sister and wife. He says he failed to complete the assigned work and had been unable to sleep for 20 days, adding that he felt the pressure was “too much.” He asks his family to care for his four daughters and stresses that no one else should be blamed for his decision.
Kumar was found dead early Sunday by his wife, Babli. A note recovered from the house stated that he was unable to deal with the workload and stress associated with BLO duties. He wrote that he wanted to finish the assignment but simply “did not have the time.”
His death comes amid nationwide concern over the strenuous working conditions faced by BLOs during the ongoing SIR exercise. Across several states, multiple BLOs have reportedly died in recent weeks, with families alleging long hours, low pay and overwhelming pressure.
Kumar, who belonged to the Dalit community and lived with his family in Bahedi village in the Bhojpur area of Moradabad, had no prior experience with BLO duties. His relatives have demanded strict action against officials whom they say pushed him to the brink.
The incident has intensified calls for better support systems, mental-health safeguards and realistic workloads for ground-level election workers, who play a critical role in maintaining the accuracy and integrity of voter rolls.
