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VADODARA: Alleged strain over EC’s special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Gujarat flared Saturday after a 50-year-old booth-level officer (BLO) assistant collapsed and died in Vadodara, another BLO in Padra suffered severe chest pain, and a teacher in Godhra went live on social media threatening to end his life over “unmanageable demands” tied to the drive.Four BLO-linked deaths have been reported in Gujarat over the past four days – two allegedly from cardiac arrest, one by suicide, and the cause still under investigation in the latest case.Usha Solanki, a senior clerk at Gorwa Mahila ITI assigned as BLO assistant at Pratap School in Vadodara’s Kadak Bazaar, collapsed while waiting for her supervisor Saturday. She was taken to a state-run SSG hospital, where doctors declared her dead. An autopsy is pending, but she is suspected to have suffered a heart attack. Officials said she had been on SIR duty for three days.Her husband Indrasinh Solanki said she had chronic health complications and had repeatedly appealed against her assignment. Vadodara collector Anil Dhameliya rejected allegations of undue pressure, saying there was no formal leave request on record. He said the administration was trying to ease the load by avoiding night work and deploying extra staff for digitisation. BLO concerns have been conveyed to EC “to make the process more decentralised,” he said.At Padra town in Vadodara district, BLO and teacher Zulfikar Pathan was rushed to a Vadu primary health centre Friday night with severe chest pain. His relatives alleged he had been working extended hours and eating only one meal a day for the past fortnight. He was later shifted to a private hospital.In Godhra, BLO Vinu Bamaniya went live on social media urging colleagues to boycott SIR duties and alleging he had been threatened with “dire consequences” if he failed to return 200 filled forms by Saturday. Bamaniya alleged an official snapped her fingers at him. “I understand the seriousness of the work, but cannot tolerate insults,” he said. Panchmahal collector Ajay Dahiya said officials intervened and allowed the teacher to work at his own pace. To help each BLO, he said two assistants had been attached.
