A tragic incident in Vadodara has brought renewed scrutiny on the mounting workload pressures faced by Booth Level Officers (BLOs) in Gujarat’s ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Ushaben Indrasinh Solanki, a BLO assistant deployed to Pratap School in Kadak Bazaar, collapsed and died on duty Saturday, deepening concerns over the physical and mental toll on election workers.

Despite repeated pleas from her family citing poor health, Ushaben was assigned BLO duties in addition to her regular ITI clerk responsibilities. Her husband, Indrasinh Solanki, stated that the family had specifically requested officials to exempt her from the strenuous BLO workload, but their appeals were ignored. She suddenly collapsed while waiting for her supervisor in the field and was rushed to Sayaji Hospital, where she was declared dead. A heart attack is suspected, with postmortem reports pending.

This incident follows three other BLO-related deaths across Gujarat in the past four days. Arvindbhai Vadher, a BLO in Kodinar, died by suicide reportedly due to unbearable work pressure. In Tapi district, Kalpanaben Patel, also a BLO assistant, succumbed to a heart attack while on duty. Earlier this week, a BLO in Kheda similarly collapsed and died during service. Families and colleagues link these deaths to the excessive and relentless demands of the SIR exercise.

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Collector Anil Dhameliya acknowledged the challenges faced by BLOs, assuring that efforts are underway to reduce their burden. He stated that night duties are being eliminated and additional staff are being engaged to digitize processes and decentralize responsibilities. Officials have conveyed these concerns to the Election Commission to prevent undue pressure on BLOs, aiming for a more sustainable workload distribution.

The string of deaths has sparked outrage and calls for urgent intervention to protect the wellbeing of BLOs, who play a critical role in maintaining the integrity of elections. Families of the deceased have condemned the negligence that allowed ill and overworked staff to be deployed. As the government seeks to streamline operations, the fate and safety of frontline election personnel remain a pressing concern ahead of upcoming electoral exercises.

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