NEW DELHI: The Booth Level Officers (BLOs), who have been a silent and almost invisible part of India’s electoral machinery for decades, have suddenly found themselves at the centre of attention. The Election Commission’s ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has placed them at the centre of one of the largest verification drives in recent years, making their day-to-day labour impossible to ignore. What was once routine verification has now become a high-intensity, deadline-bound exercise. With the first phase scheduled to end on December 11, BLOs across West Bengal say they are clocking 12–16 hour days, making multiple visits to the same households, filling forms for those unable to do so, and uploading details late into the night on their phones. For many, the p

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