West Bengal BLO's suicide sparks concern over work stress

India Nov 22, 2025

A booth level officer (BLO) in Nadia, West Bengal, Rinku Tarafdar, died by suicide this week, with her family saying she was overwhelmed by heavy election-related duties called Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
Police recovered a suicide note from her room, though the contents have not been disclosed.

Growing worries about BLO mental health

Sadly, this isn't the first case—similar suicides have happened in Jalpaiguri and even outside Bengal.
The repeated tragedies have pushed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to urge the Election Commission to pause SIR operations for now, highlighting how much pressure these officers face just doing their jobs.