Lucknow, Nov 29 (NationPress) The President of the Samajwadi Party (SP), Akhilesh Yadav, has vehemently criticized the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh administration and the Election Commission of India (ECI), asserting that the extraordinary stress associated with the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is pushing officials into a state of despair.

His comments followed the tragic incident of a 25-year-old clerk, Sudhir Kumar, who reportedly took his own life in Fatehpur earlier this week, alongside other reported suicides among Booth Level Officers (BLOs) across the nation, stirring significant political controversy.

During a press conference, Akhilesh Yadav claimed that pressure is being placed not just on the field-level BLOs but also on the organizations they represent.

"The SP has previously demanded the elimination of unnecessary work pressure. This is a critical duty. Why is the BJP in such an urgent rush?" he questioned.

He accused the Election Commission and the BJP of collaborating to manipulate electoral processes, resulting in officials being overburdened. He added, "People in West Bengal are claiming that the Election Commission has blood on its hands."

"Municipal sanitation workers have been appointed as assistants. Numerous BLOs are inadequately trained and informed yet are being coerced to hastily complete their tasks," he remarked.

Akhilesh Yadav, a former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, also challenged the government's assertion that all necessary forms had been distributed for the revision. "This is not accurate on the ground. There are plans to revoke voting rights. They will exert pressure to eliminate reservations," he cautioned.

Referring to Sudhir Kumar’s tragic passing, the SP leader stated he spoke to Kumar's family in Fatehpur. "They informed me that he was under immense pressure, which led to his suicide. A supervisor also endured extreme stress," he claimed, while announcing ₹2 lakh in aid for Sangeeta, the widow of deceased BLO Vijay Kumar Verma from Malihabad.

Akhilesh Yadav further accused the BJP of outsourcing election-related responsibilities to a private firm in Noida to expedite the SIR process. He reiterated that around 20,000 voters’ names were removed from Ghosi and asserted that the situation for BLOs during the recent bypolls demonstrated severe mismanagement.

He charged the ECI with facilitating "booth looting" and withholding CCTV footage from polling stations, labeling it a "calculated strategy to undermine democracy." The SP, he announced, will bring the SIR issue to Parliament before taking to the streets.