A booth-level officer (BLO) engaged in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls died after suffering a brain stroke in West Bengal’s Purba Bardhaman district, with her family alleging that excessive work pressure contributed to her death. The incident occurred late Saturday night in Memari, where the officer, identified as 50-year-old Namita Hansda, collapsed at her residence.

Namita, an ICDS worker assigned as BLO for Booth No. 278 in Chak Balarampur, had reportedly been under considerable stress due to the deadlines associated with the ongoing SIR exercise. Her husband, Madhab Hansda, said she had been “worried a lot about meeting the target” within the stipulated timeframe. She was rushed to Kalna Subdivisional Hospital, where doctors declared her brought dead.

District officials acknowledged that Namita had been suffering from “severe stress because of the mounting workload,” but maintained that her death was due to medical causes and stated that no direct connection could be established between her SIR duties and the stroke.

The incident has prompted demands for compensation. Swapan Mondal, general secretary of the ‘Vote Kormi and BLO Aikya Manch’, wrote to Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal, urging the Election Commission to provide ₹50 lakh to the family on humanitarian grounds. The group asserted that excessive pressure from the assigned work contributed to her death and that it was the responsibility of the Election Commission to extend support to her family.

The matter has triggered concern among BLOs and election workers, who have repeatedly flagged long hours, workload intensity, and insufficient support mechanisms during electoral revision exercises. Authorities have yet to indicate whether any internal review or relief measures will follow.