Members of the NGO Association stage a protest outside the District Election Officer’s office in Kochi on November 17, 2025 following the death of BLO Aneesh George due to alleged work stress. | Photo credit: RK Nithin
Amid growing concerns over the completion of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in the state within the stipulated time frame, it appeared that there was not much take-up for the online census form submission facility, at least in Ernakulam district. As of 12 noon on Monday (November 17, 2025), only 3,503 voters in the district had submitted their enumeration form online, according to official figures. This represents a meager 0.13% of the total 26,53,065 voters in the district. The portal was opened for voters days after SIR field work began in the state on November 4.
It was just 1,970 (0.07%) on Friday (November 14, 2025), when the district administration launched a campaign to encourage voters to use the online facility to locate their respective Booth Level Officials (BLOs) and fill the census forms on the Election Commission’s website https://voters.ineci.
“It seems that only voters who are abroad have now started using the online facility, though the option is open to all. Those who are in the state may prefer to fill the physical forms distributed by the BLO,” said a district official. Assembly constituency data on those who submitted forms online was not available.
BLOs involved in distributing the forms said they have come across people trying to submit them online. “Voters who have shifted to other parts of the state contacted me complaining of technical difficulties they faced while trying to submit forms online,” said the BLO in Thrikkakara assembly constituency.
BLO protest
Meanwhile, BLOs under the banner of Left and Congress-led service organizations staged protests at the district collectorate against the death of Aneesh George, BLO in Kannur, allegedly due to SIR-related work pressure. The Action Council, made up of members of the Union of Left-Affiliated NGOs and the Joint Council, as well as the Congress-backed Association of Non-Governmental Organizations, organized separate marches.
The protesters demanded that the Election Commission of India postpone the SIR until the local body elections are over in the state. The service organizations announced that the BLOs would boycott the work of the SIR on Monday following the death of Mr. George. BLOs are tasked with distributing the forms, collecting them after they are filled and uploading them online by December 4.
Published – 17 Nov 2025 20:58 IST
