Supreme Court Warns ECI That BLO Threats May Cause Anarchy

The Supreme Court of India warned the Election Commission of India (ECI) on December 9, 2025, that failing to address threats and violence against Booth Level Officers (BLOs) conducting the Special Intensive Revision (SIR 2.0) of electoral rolls could cause anarchy. A bench consisting of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi issued the warning in response to a plea by Sanatani Sangsad, which sought the deployment of central armed forces to protect officials in West Bengal.

The court requested a comprehensive nationwide report from the ECI, the central government, and the West Bengal government regarding state cooperation and official safety. While the ECI representative, Rakesh Dwivedi, suggested taking state police under deputation if security was denied, Justice Bagchi noted that the poll body cannot assume police control before the formal election process begins.

Addressing specific allegations in West Bengal, the bench rejected a request to declare the state's situation unique, noting that evidence of obstruction was limited to a single FIR. Additionally, the court challenged ECI claims that BLOs face no workload strain, asserting that the manual house-to-house verification process creates significant pressure on the officers. Chief Justice Surya Kant emphasized that the court does not want to engage in political blame games but requires the SIR to be completed without glitches.