A 56-year-old schoolteacher serving as a booth level officer (BLO) in the ongoing electoral roll revision died early Thursday after falling ill at his Sujapur residence, with his family alleging that mounting work pressure had severely affected his health.
Family alleges distress over voter list re-verification
Mohammad Anikul Alam, a geography teacher at Kaliachak High School and a resident of Bishwaspara, was in charge of booth number 144 under the Sujapur Assembly constituency. He had been living in Sujapur for nearly 25 years.
According to family members, Alam was distressed after receiving a list from the BDO office containing 44 names that could not be mapped and required rechecking. To his shock, his own name reportedly featured on the re-verification list despite being a regular voter. Although he and his family had attended a hearing on January 2, the renewed demand for document verification allegedly caused him anxiety.
He visited the Kaliachak-I BDO office seeking clarification but reportedly found no resolution.
Health deteriorates overnight
Alam began feeling unwell later that evening and was initially treated at a primary health centre. However, his condition worsened overnight, and he suffered a severe heart attack at home. He was first taken to Sujapur Block Hospital and later shifted to a private nursing home in English Bazaar, where he died around 9 am.
His body has been sent for post-mortem examination.
Political reactions follow
The incident sparked a political exchange. Leaders of the Trinamool Congress alleged that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) workload amounted to harassment. However, representatives of the BJP dismissed the claims, stating that Alam had pre-existing health concerns and accusing rivals of politicising the tragedy.
Officials from the Election Commission of India have not issued a detailed statement on the allegations. Further inquiries are under way.