The death of a Booth Level Officer (BLO) a day after the publication of the final voter list has triggered controversy in Kamarhati, North 24 Parganas. The deceased, Mohammad Tahir (55), reportedly died of a heart attack, though his family has alleged that mounting mental stress linked to his inclusion in the ‘under adjudication’ list contributed to his death.
Tahir, a resident of Anwar Bagan area in Ward No. 7 under Kamarhati Municipality, was a teacher at a local school and served as a BLO for Booth No. 69 in the Kamarhati Assembly constituency. In addition to his BLO duties, he had reportedly been assigned additional responsibilities as a supervisor for Booth No. 64, adjacent to Booth No. 57.
According to family members, Tahir was distressed after the final voter list published by the Election Commission carried the term ‘under adjudication’ next to his name. They claimed that he became mentally disturbed after seeing the remark and struggled under increasing work pressure.
The controversy comes amid widespread confusion following the publication of the final voter list across the state. Reports have surfaced from several areas of names of political leaders, public representatives, and administrative officials being omitted or marked as ‘under adjudication.’ In some cases, BLOs and Block Development Officers (BDOs) have also reportedly faced similar entries.
Family members stated that Tahir had submitted the necessary documents during the hearing process to address discrepancies in his voter records. However, as the documents were allegedly not verified or settled in time, his name remained marked as ‘under adjudication’ in the final list.
Nizamuddin, a relative of the deceased, alleged that Tahir had been facing intense pressure. “Many names were omitted from the booth where he was supervising. People were calling him and blaming him for it. Some even used abusive language. He was mentally broken. There was also additional pressure from the SIR work. Due to that pressure, he suffered a heart attack,” he said.
Meanwhile, Kamarhati Town Trinamool Congress (TMC) President Imtiaz Ahmed visited Tahir’s residence to offer condolences. He stated, “As far as I know, he was physically healthy and had no major health issues. However, the word ‘under adjudication’ next to his name in the voter list put him under pressure. We believe he died of a heart attack due to that stress. The rest is subject to investigation.”
The incident has sparked debate over the handling of voter list revisions and the pressure faced by election-related officials. Authorities are yet to issue an official statement clarifying the circumstances surrounding the death.
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