Fresh TMCBJP clash erupts after another BLO suicide in poll-bound West Bengal

KOLKATA: Yet another Booth Level Officer (BLO) suicide in West Bengal has sparked a fresh TrinamoolBJP clash, heightening tensions ahead of next years Assembly elections. Hours after the death of BLO Rinku Tarafdar, a 53-year-old para teacher of a local school in Krishnagar in Nadia district on Saturday, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee once again lashed out at the Election Commission of India (ECI), questioning how many more BLOs must die under the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Profoundly shocked to know of the death of yet another BLO, a lady para-teacher, who has committed suicide at Krishnanagar today. BLO of part number 201 of AC 82 Chapra, Smt Rinku Tarafdar, has blamed ECI in her suicide note (copy is attached herewith) before committing suicide at her residence today, Mamata said in a social media post, continuing her protest against SIR. How many more lives will be lost? How many more need to die for this SIR? How many more dead bodies shall we see for this process? This has become truly alarming now! the Trinamool Congress supremo said, targeting the national poll panel. Rinku wrote in her suicide note that she had completed ninety per cent of the work but could not finish the digital component. She allegedly feared being penalised for it, writing that she did not want to have a stroke from the stress and dreaded the prospect of going to jail at this age for failing to comply. Accusing the Mamata government of indifference in appointing data entry operators for SIR work, the rival saffron camp alleged that the state administration was responsible for Rinkus death. The ECI had directed the appointment of data entry operators for SIR-related works, but the chief minister has been doing nothing despite the guidelines of the national poll body. According to Rinkus family members, she knew nothing about the computer-based online job of data entry operators. We could not have lost her if the state government had appointed data entry operators to relieve the workload of BLOs, alleged Agnimitra Paul, BJP legislator. Meanwhile, the state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Agarwal has sought a detailed report from the district magistrate and the district electoral officer (DEO) of Nadia in connection with Rinkus death.