BLO under 'immense SIR pressure' found dead in Bengal — Mamata's explosive charge against ECI

The family members alleged the woman was under tremendous work pressure due to Special Intensive Revision (SIR), which is currently underway.

Police said Rinku Tarafdar was found hanging from the ceiling of her room in the Bangaljhi area of Chapra in Krishnanagar, The Times of India reported.

Training her guns at the Election Commission of India (ECI), Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote on X, "Profoundly shocked to know of the death of yet another BLO, a lady para- teacher,who has committed suicide at Krishnanagar today . BLO of part number 201 of AC 82 Chapra, Smt Rinku Tarafdar, has blamed ECI in her suicide note ( copy is attached herewith) before committing suicide at her residence today.

"How many more lives will be lost? How many more need to die for this SIR? How many more dead bodies shall we see for this process? This has become truly alarming now!!"

Krishnanagar Lok Sabha MP from the TMC, Mahua Moitra,  has hit out at Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in an X post.

Moitra wrote, "Mr Gyanesh Kumar @ECISVEEP you are responsible for aiding & abetting the suicide of BLO Rinku Tarafdar, 52 , who took her own life last night. In her suicide note she mentioned clearly that only the EC was responsible for her death."

Trashing Mamata and her government's allegations, BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya wrote on X, "You are LYING again — twisting facts, misusing your corrupt and pliable administration to plant fake stories, and shedding crocodile tears for BLOs. Your words carry zero credibility until an independent investigation establishes the truth.

"Let’s be clear: the people of Bengal — women, youth, every honest citizen want SIR to be conducted fairly and effectively so that the rolls can finally be cleansed of infiltrators, duplicates, absentee, ghost and dead voters, the very categories you depend on to cling to power."

Earlier this week, Mamata had written a letter to CEC Gyanesh Kumar urging to stop SIR immediately.

In her letter to Kumar, the CM described the exercise as "chaotic, coercive and dangerously unplanned," arguing that it is exposing voters and officials to unnecessary risks.

"I am compelled to write because the SIR process has reached a deeply alarming stage. The way this revision is being pushed on both citizens and officials is not only disorderly but hazardous," she said.

Mamata said the entire operation has been riddled with confusion—from inadequate training to unclear documentation requirements—and that booth-level officers (BLOs) are struggling to contact voters during regular work hours.

She urged the EC to “intervene decisively, halt the coercive measures, provide proper training and support, and reassess the current methodology and deadlines.”

The letter was sent at a time when dramatic visuals of Bangladeshi citizens who claim to have crossed over to India years ago flocking to the borders to return to their homeland have grabbed people's attention.

Even some of the crossovers claimed they had voted in a few past elections, arming the BJP to sharpen its attack on the TMC government over the alleged infiltration and appeasement politics.