The Supreme Court on Tuesday expressed strong concern over reports of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) being threatened and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process facing obstruction in West Bengal and other states.
“Bring to our notice any instances of non-cooperation or threats to BLOs. We will pass appropriate orders,” the bench said, according to PTI.
The court was hearing a petition filed by the Sanatani Sangsad, which sought adequate deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) to ensure the smooth conduct of SIR in West Bengal.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) informed the court that it possesses full constitutional authority to act against threats to BLOs and officials involved in the revision exercise.
“If the situation worsens, we will have no option but to place the police under deputation,” the ECI told the bench, noting that SIR work was being hindered in certain states.
Warning the poll body of the potential fallout, the Supreme Court remarked, “Deal with the situation, or it will lead to anarchy”
West Bengal has reported multiple suspected suicides of Booth Level Officers during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, prompting sharp criticism from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and renewed questions over the pressure placed on field staff.
In a strongly worded letter to the Chief Election Commissioner last month, Banerjee had already warned that the SIR exercise had reached a “deeply alarming stage” due to its “unplanned, chaotic and dangerous” implementation, arguing that compressing a normally three-year process into three months was “inhuman.”
The SIR drive, launched by the ECI in Bihar and expanded to 12 states and Union Territories, involves door-to-door verification of voter lists.
The exercise has faced mounting criticism across states, with reports of work-related stress and deaths also emerging from Kerala, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.
Opposition parties have accused the ECI of rushing the process without adequate safeguards and alleged that the exercise lacks transparency, with concerns particularly raised in states headed for elections in 2026, including West Bengal.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday the Supreme Court refused to pass orders to extend the deadline for the submission of enumeration forms in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Kerala.
On the other hand, the Supreme Court issued notice to the Election Commission of India on a writ petition challenging the ECI’s decision to conduct only a “Special Revision” of the electoral roll in Assam instead of a “Special Intensive Revision” ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
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