India, Nov. 20 -- West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday asked chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to halt the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in the state, asserting that continuing the "unplanned and coercive drive" would not only endanger more lives but also jeopardise the legitimacy of the exercise.

Banerjee's three-page letter came against the backdrop of two deaths of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) in the state after the exercise was launched on November 4. A third BLO was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday after a cerebral attack, or stroke.

"We will examine the concerns flagged by the chief minister closely and issue a due response," a senior Election Commission of India (ECI) official in Delhi said.

The ...