Hardship Faced by BLOs in Tamil Nadu SIR: SC Directs State to Exempt Overburdened Staff & Deploy More Personnel

The Bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joyamalya Bagchi, was hearing a batch of petitions challenging the manner in which the SIR process is being carried out.

One of the petitioners, the Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), had earlier highlighted instances of severe work pressure, including cases where BLOs allegedly died by suicide due to the overwhelming workload.

Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appearing for TVK, argued that BLOs were being compelled to work late into the night, despite already juggling full-time teaching or anganwadi duties. He flagged the invocation of Section 32 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, which permits criminal action when election duties are not performed, contending that such harsh measures were driving employees to distress. He cited the case of a young man who was denied leave for his own wedding and later died by suicide.

Sankaranarayanan stressed that the Election Commission of India (ECI) was effectively running the entire process, while the state government intervened only after FIRs were registered. Senior Advocate Maninder Singh, appearing for the ECI, sought time to respond.

The CJI noted that employees burdened by health issues, family responsibilities or other hardships must not be compelled to perform additional duties. He said state governments “cannot run away from their obligation” and must step in to address genuine grievances.

Pointing to the FIRs registered against BLOs; including nearly 50 cases in Noida, the Bench expressed concern over criminal proceedings being initiated against staff who were simply unable to cope with excessive workload.

Issuing interim directions, the Supreme Court mandated:

1. States must deploy additional staff so that working hours of BLOs are reduced.

2. Any employee seeking exemption for personal reasons must be considered on a case-to-case basis and suitably replaced by alternate personnel.

3. State governments remain obligated to supply adequate workforce to the ECI, but may increase the strength to mitigate hardships.

When Sankaranarayanan sought consideration of additional reliefs, including ex gratia for families of BLOs who died, the CJI clarified that such individual grievances may be pursued through appropriate proceedings and the larger matter would not be disposed of at this stage.

ECI had further stated that to ensure that the SIR exercise is conducted in a seamless manner and with optimal efficiency, as regards the State of Tamil Nadu, it has appointed 68,470 BLOs. Moreover, recognized National and State Political Parties have appointed more than 2,38,853 BLAs to provide assistance to the process and maintain oversight.

Last month, CPI(M) and DMK had approached the Supreme Court challenging the constitutional validity of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Tamil Nadu.

The petition filed by Secretary of the CPI(M) Tamil Nadu State Committee, P. Shanmugam, seeks to quash the ECI's order dated 27 October 2025, which has mandated completion of the SIR exercise within a month. Court has been told that he SIR has no statutory basis and amounts to a “colourable exercise of power” by the Election Commission.

DMK has argued that the SIR orders based on the order and guidelines issued on 24.06.2025 of the ECI if not set aside, can arbitrarily and without due process disenfranchise lakhs of voters from electing their representatives, thereby disrupting free and fair elections and democracy in the country, which are part of the basic structure of the Constitution, Supreme Court had been told.

The order of ECI dated October 27, 2025 has directed for an SIR to be conducted in various States and Union Territories such as the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and the State of Tamil Nadu.