The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Madhya Pradesh has been marked by tragedy as six Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have died within just 10 days of the month-long voter revision process that began on November 4. The exercise involves the digitization of voter forms for 5.74 crore electors across all 230 assembly constituencies. Despite deploying over 65,000 BLOs, only 37% of the voter revision forms have been uploaded, leaving a significant backlog that has created intense pressure on field workers.

The mounting workload and looming deadlines have contributed to severe health consequences for many officers. Victims include Maniram Napit from Shahdol, who collapsed and died shortly after being reminded of pending targets; Sujan Singh Raghuvanshi from Narmadapuram, who suffered fatal injuries after being hit by a train while returning from duty; and Ramakant Pandey from Mandideep, who died from a heart attack soon after an online meeting. Others like Bhuvan Singh Chauhan in Jhabua and Sitaram Gond in Damoh have similarly succumbed under pressure and health complications linked to the exercise.

Several other BLOs across the state are currently hospitalized with heart attacks, brain hemorrhages, and other critical conditions. Families and union representatives have pointed to excessive work pressure, extended working hours, server issues, and fear of suspension as key stress factors. In Bhopal alone, two BLOs collapsed on duty from heart-related conditions, while in Rewa and Bhind, officers worked despite severe health ailments, further exacerbating concerns.

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The Madhya Pradesh Third Class Employees Union has formally written to the Chief Election Commissioner, demanding compensation of Rs 15 lakh for the families of deceased officers and free medical care for those suffering due to SIR work. The union emphasized that SIR is a crucial month-long election-related process deserving protections and relief comparable to polling duties. Union General Secretary Umashankar Tiwari warned of "immense stress" and called for immediate intervention to prevent further health crises and fatalities among poll officers.

This alarming situation has drawn attention to the urgent need to reassess workload, target feasibility, and support mechanisms for field staff integral to India's electoral processes, as the state and country prepare for upcoming elections.​

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