“Vote theft has taken deadly turn”: Congress chief Kharge slams BJP over demise of BLOs during SIR Phase II

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday launched a scathing attack against the Bharatiya Janata Party after several Booth Level Officers (BLOs) across the country, who were “overburdened” during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision(SIR) of the electoral roll, died by suicide.

The row erupted after a BLO in Kerala’s Kannur died by suicide, followed by a similar incident in West Bengal.

Sharing a media report claiming the demise of 16 BLOs in six states, Kharge said that the alleged electoral fraud has taken a “deadly turn.”

In an X post, calling it a “forced implementation” of the SIR exercise, he compared it to the demonetization and the COVID lockdown times. Congress chief also questioned the Election Commission for their silence on the deaths of the BLOs.

He wrote, “The BJP