At least six people have died across West Bengal within 24 hours and multiple others in recent weeks, with their families and opposition leaders alleging that panic, fear and stress linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls contributed to fatal heart attacks and suicides.
The latest incident includes the death of 70-year-old Sahar Ali Mondal in North 24 Parganas, who collapsed after receiving an SIR hearing notice and similarly, a 61-year-old man in Jalpaiguri also died shortly after a hearing notice, according to relatives.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has fiercely criticised the SIR process for causing widespread distress and demanded its suspension, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Election Commission of India (ECI) deny any direct link between the exercise and the deaths, pointing to normal administrative procedure.
Amid rising tensions, the Supreme Court has sought ECI’s reply on procedural irregularities raised by TMC leaders, and authorities are considering extending deadlines to ease pressure around the exercise.
Distress, Deadly Anxiety, and Administrative Pressures
The SIR, a comprehensive revision of the electoral roll aimed at removing duplicates and correcting entries, has reportedly triggered widespread anxiety in West Bengal since notices began being issued in mid-December 2025.
In the most recent incidents, Sahar Ali Mondal, 70, of Purba Madartala village in North 24 Parganas, collapsed and died of a heart attack on Tuesday night, with his family alleging intense stress after being summoned for a hearing under the SIR process.
Relatives said Mondal had been worried about whether his sons’ names would remain on the voter list and feared administrative complications ahead of the hearing. Soon after, another elderly voter, 61-year-old Makbul Haque of Jalpaiguri, reportedly suffered a fatal heart attack shortly after receiving a similar hearing notice, with relatives attributing his death to stress linked to the process as well.
These latest deaths are part of a wider cluster of distress-related incidents reported across the state over the past two months. According to police and local sources, within a recent 24-hour span, six people died, with families alleging fear and panic over SIR notices as the underlying cause.
Among these were five alleged suicides and one heart attack, occurring in districts including North 24 Parganas, Nadia, Birbhum, Purulia and West Burdwan. Relatives and community leaders have linked these tragedies to the stress and fear provoked by hearing notices, especially for older and vulnerable residents fearful of exclusion from the electoral roll.
Reports from earlier weeks indicate that deaths connected to SIR anxiety have gradually risen over time, with some earlier accounts placing a toll of more than a dozen, including elderly voters and even Booth Level Officers (BLOs) involved in the exercise. These incidents underlined broader distress among both citizens and election workers in the state.
Political Backlash and Administrative Developments
The tragic toll has fuelled intense political controversy. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) West Bengal’s ruling party has repeatedly criticised the SIR exercise, with leaders accusing the Election Commission and the BJP-led central leadership of conducting the revision in an “unplanned”, “chaotic” and “dangerous” manner that disregards human cost and community well-being.
In petitions filed with the Supreme Court, TMC MPs have argued that procedural irregularities, informal instructions issued via messaging apps like WhatsApp, distant hearing locations and compressed timelines are exacerbating distress for voters and officials alike, and have sought an immediate halt to the process or at least a substantial extension of deadlines.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has been a prominent critic, arguing that compressing a revision exercise that normally takes years into a few months amounts to undue pressure on both citizens and electoral staff. TMC leaders have pointed to reports of BLO suicides and deaths among common voters to underscore their claims that the process is fuelling fear rather than facilitating civic participation.
On the administrative side, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has taken several steps to address mounting concerns and ensure smoother implementation. Responding to the Supreme Court’s involvement and growing criticism, the ECI has appointed a Special Roll Observer to oversee the process in West Bengal, issued strict directives to top state officials to ensure law and order around hearings, and warned of disciplinary action against disruptions.
The Commission has also extended deadlines for filing claims and objections first to January 19, 2026, and with additional considerations for a longer extension around hearing deadlines following a separate Supreme Court order to provide more time for voters to verify details and correct discrepancies.
In addition, the ECI has issued stern instructions to the state’s Chief Secretary, Director General of Police, and other senior officials to maintain disciplined conduct and transparency throughout the SIR exercise, aiming to quell fears of procedural missteps or arbitrariness. While authorities emphasise that the revision is aimed at strengthening democratic participation by cleaning up the rolls, they underline that any distressing incidents are regrettable but not directly caused by the process itself.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
The reported distress, anxiety and tragic loss of life associated with the Special Intensive Revision in West Bengal highlights a deeper challenge: balancing administrative objectives with human dignity.
Electoral roll revision is a legitimate and necessary part of maintaining a functional democracy, but its execution must be guided by clear, compassionate communication, adequate support systems for vulnerable populations, and realistic timelines that account for local context and capacity.
When large numbers of notices trigger fear among the elderly, marginalised communities or even officials tasked with implementation, it signals a disconnect between procedural intent and on-ground experience.
