BLO ends life in Kerala; SIR-related job stress blamed
Updated on: Nov 17, 2025 05:18 am IST
Booth-level officers in Kerala will boycott work after a BLO’s suspected suicide due to stress from electoral roll duties, raising concerns over their workload.
Booth-level officers (BLO) across Kerala are set to boycott their duties on Monday following the suspected suicide of a BLO near Payyanur in Kannur district allegedly due to high stress over work related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls kn the state.
An officer of the Payyanur police said that a 41-year-old school attendant, posted as a BLO in the Kankol – Alappadambu panchayat, was found dead at his home on Sunday.
His family alleged that the BLO was under tremendous mental stress over distributing the enumeration forms to each household and completing the scrutiny within the deadline prescribed by the Election Commission.
His father told reporters on Sunday, “My son was under a lot of mental trauma and stress due to the work involved with the SIR. Unfortunately, he died by suicide today.”
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The SIR exercise in Kerala, which heads for Assembly polls next year, currently coincides with the work of the local body polls which are scheduled for December. While polling will take place on December 9 and 11, counting of votes is on December 13.
Political parties, including the Congress and the CPI(M) had asked the ECI to defer the SIR until after the local body polls in order to reduce the pressure on government officials involved in the work and prevent stagnation of governance. The High Court recently asked the State to move the SC with regards to its petition to defer the SIR.
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The Action Council of State Govt Teachers, Joint Committee of Teacher Service Organisations and Kerala NGO Association declared that it’s members will not report for duty on Monday. The ECI has “imposed an unrealistic workload with high targets in a very short period. This pressure is pushing BLOs towards suicide,” it said.
Leader of the opposition VD Satheesan asked for a detailed examination of the workload of BLOs to prevent further suicides.
Chief Electoral officer Rathan U Kelkar has sought a report from the Kannur district collector on the suicide.
