Kerala BLOs demand SIR postponement as protests surge in Thiruvananthapuram
Kerala BLOs demand SIR postponement as protests surge in Thiruvananthapuram
BLOs across Kerala protest the ECI's SIR plan, citing workload and a fatal case, marching to the Chief Electoral Officer's office.
Booth level officers (BLOs) under the banner of Left and Congress-led service organisations in Kerala staged large-scale protests on Monday to press for delaying the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) by the Election Commission of India. The rallies followed the death of Kannur BLO Aneesh George, with organizers saying the ECI must defer SIR until after local body elections. After George’s death, service organisations had announced a boycott of SIR duties on Monday. Demonstrations moved to the office of the Chief Electoral Officer in Thiruvananthapuram, and similar marches took place at district offices as police blocked some routes to the Kerala Legislative Assembly. The Joint Council of State Service Organisations and allied bodies addressed reporters, accusing the CEO and Kannur District Collector of distributing misleading information about the revision and form distribution. They challenged the claim that 94.5% of enumeration forms have been distributed and said George had more forms to distribute. IUML and other groups raised concerns about ‘unholy haste’ by the ECI, with leaders indicating legal action after the Supreme Court was petitioned to review SIR. The protests raise questions about worker safety and the timing of revision in the run-up to local polls, highlighting the pressures faced by BLOs and other field staff.
Cover image source: After DMK, IUML moves SC against SIR 🔗
