Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh — The political slugfest in Uttar Pradesh has escalated sharply as the opposition and ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lock horns over the controversial SIR (Specified Identification Revision) process being carried out in the state. Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav has launched a blistering attack on the state government, the Election Commission of India (ECI), and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing them of labeling serious administrative failures as “political drama” while grassroots election workers continue to face extreme pressure, health emergencies, and even death.
“BLOs are dying, and the government calls it a drama” — Akhilesh
Addressing media and party workers, Yadav slammed the government for what he described as a casual and insensitive response to the reported deaths of a number of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) deployed to carry out the SIR verification at the village and urban ward level. Reacting to PM Modi’s recent remarks that “the opposition is staging a drama over SIR,” Akhilesh countered, saying, “If anyone is doing drama, it is the government. People know the truth.”
BLO सर्वेश सिंह का अंतिम वीडियो.
आत्महत्या से पहले वो रो रहे थे. माफी मांग रहे थे. अपनी बेटियों का ख्याल रखने की बात कर रहे थे. pic.twitter.com/kv4wV9uX18
— Ranvijay Singh (@ranvijaylive) December 1, 2025
According to him, many constituencies where SIR data revision and voter identity checks are underway are witnessing immense administrative push on BLOs — the frontline election workers responsible for house-to-house voter verification, form submissions, error correction, and digital documentation. “These officers are working under unbearable workload and political pressure. Lives have already been lost. Instead of owning responsibility, the government blames the opposition,” Yadav added.
BJP misusing administration, police to influence elections
Akhilesh further charged the BJP with using state machinery to manipulate the electoral ecosystem, alleging that police and district administration are being used to tilt the election mood in favor of the ruling party. He claimed that multiple incidents of voter intimidation and harassment have surfaced from districts undergoing the SIR drive, where citizens were reportedly “threatened or pressured during verification visits or form submissions.”
“A party that controls the government has unlimited resources, security forces, and administrative power. It becomes impossible for common people and employees to function freely. Democracy suffers,” he said, emphasizing that free and pressure-less elections are the foundation of a strong democratic system.
No training, too much burden — SIR launched in a rush
The Samajwadi Party and other opposition voices have also questioned the rollout strategy of the SIR process, alleging that the procedure was launched in a reckless hurry without structured training modules for the employees. Many election workers, especially BLOs, reportedly stated that they did not receive proper digital training, form-filling guidance, or workload planning before being assigned to conduct the drive, leading to errors, confusion, and excessive stress.
Opposition leaders highlighted that the SIR process is so complex that even basic procedural documentation becomes difficult for workers handling hundreds of households daily. Akhilesh’s party has demanded a slowdown, revision, and transparency audit of the entire process.
SP claims 8 BLOs died, 3 by suicide, 5 due to medical emergencies
The most damaging claim from Akhilesh Yadav came in the form of statistics cited by his party. The SP president alleged that at least 8 BLOs have lost their lives during the ongoing SIR process:
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3 officers died by suicide, reportedly due to unbearable pressure and workplace stress.
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5 officers died due to cardiac arrest, brain hemorrhage (stroke), or related health complications, including heart attack and stress-induced medical emergencies.
Akhilesh expressed concern over the nature of the deaths and said, “This is not about politics. It is about human lives. The government should think about employee welfare instead of political optics.”
Demands from Samajwadi Party
Yadav put forward a list of key demands:
✔ Immediate investigation into the deaths of BLOs and compensation for affected families
✔ Transparency in the SIR process with independent monitoring by the Election Commission
✔ Reduction of workload pressure on BLOs and structured training before task assignment
✔ Strict orders ensuring police and administration remain neutral in election-related exercises
✔ A transparent voter rights safeguard mechanism during the SIR drive
He also appealed to the Prime Minister, saying, “Stop turning real issues into political accusations. Listen to the employees. Protect their lives.”
BJP has not issued an official response yet
As of now, there has been no detailed official statement from BJP spokespersons or the Uttar Pradesh government addressing the death toll cited by SP or the allegation that SIR was rolled out without training. However, local administrative units in some districts have maintained that the process is a routine voter data update exercise conducted every election cycle.
Democracy, voter rights, and employee safety at the center of debate
The ongoing crisis has shifted the narrative from a political blame game to a larger debate on:
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The ethical implementation of new administrative election processes
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The health and safety of grassroots election workers
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The credibility and neutrality of election revision drives
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Protection of voter rights without intimidation or administrative bias
With UP preparing for high-stakes electoral battles in 2026 and 2027, the SIR process is expected to remain a key political flashpoint, especially as the opposition sharpens its case around worker casualties and democratic fairness.