BLO’s Suicide Sparks Political Row In Kerala Amid Allegations Of CPI(M) Pressure

The death by suicide of Aneesh George, a booth-level officer (BLO) in Kannur district, has triggered widespread protests and allegations of political pressure. According to Congress leaders, George faced intimidation from CPI(M) workers for involving a Congress booth-level agent in the mandatory door-to-door distribution of enumeration forms during the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

They alleged that CPI(M) functionaries warned George against taking the opposition agent along and threatened to file a complaint accusing him of distributing campaign material instead of official forms.

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Congress state (KPCC) president Sunny Joseph claimed that the threats deepened George’s mental strain in the final days before his death. The controversy intensified on Monday after Kannur District Congress Committee president Martin George released an audio clip purportedly of a phone conversation between the deceased BLO and a Congress booth agent named Vaishak.

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In the clip, George can be heard asking Vaishak not to accompany him on field duties, saying that the CPI(M) booth agent, identified as Rafeeque, had expressly warned him against it. The recording has ignited public debate, with Congress leaders asserting that it substantiates claims of political pressure rather than mere administrative distress.

In response to the incident, BLOs across several districts boycotted duties on Monday, demanding that the SIR process be suspended until after the local body elections scheduled for December.

Both the Congress and CPI(M) have urged the Election Commission to temporarily halt the revision exercise. The incident has prompted renewed scrutiny of the electoral machinery in the state, raising questions about political interference, institutional oversight, and the protections in place for ground-level officers responsible for implementing.