Kochi: Every morning in the BM Nagar ward of Ernakulam’s Thrikkakara municipality, long before most households are awake, Raseena Jaleel is already on her feet, usually with a bundle of enumeration forms or gentle reminders urging residents to complete the ones she has already distributed. For nearly four years, people here have known her as the soft-spoken, ever-cheerful Booth Level Officer (BLO) who guides them through electoral paperwork. But in the past few days, the same doors she knocks on open to a new request: “Please support me and vote for me.”

Until recently, Raseena’s routine was straightforward - visiting homes, distributing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) forms, and helping residents fill them correctly. As BLO for Booth No. 125 in Thrikkakara, she had already handed out nearly 700 forms. But when the Congress announced its candidate list on November 16, everything changed. Raseena was declared the party’s candidate for the BM Nagar, her own ward. But since the new BLO is yet to be appointed, Raseena has been juggling both roles as the BLO and the candidate, often switching between them several times a day.

After being named the candidate, Raseena immediately submitted her resignation as BLO to the Deputy Collector. But this was not her first attempt to step down from the duty. On November 3 itself, anticipating her possible candidature, she had informed the deputy collector that she would need to resign if she contested.

However, due to the delay in appointing a new BLO, she was asked to continue until she files her nomination. So, despite being a candidate, she has been performing the demanding enumeration work simultaneously, a rare and exhausting overlap of responsibilities. Despite the physical strain and time crunch, Raseena is determined not to fall short, either as a candidate or as a BLO. She is likely to file her nomination today.

“It is my duty to ensure enumeration work continues until a new BLO is appointed. And it is my responsibility to work hard as a candidate. It is a bit difficult to manage both the enumeration work and my campaigning. But with the support of my family and party workers, I am doing it,” Raseena said.

Raseena has been with the Congress for over 10 years and currently serves as the president of the Mahila Congress, Thrikkakara West Mandalam. Contesting the BM Nagar ward, ruled by the CPM for the last 10 years, has been her long-standing aspiration. Her opponent is Ajuna Hashim, the sitting councillor and CPM Area Committee member.

“Contesting for the party and regaining power in our ward has been my dream. So when the party gives me the ticket, I will try my best to win,” she said.

Behind her political ambition is an unrelenting daily routine. Her husband, Jaleel, runs a fish centre in Kangarappady and leaves early to procure stock. Her day starts at 3 am, preparing breakfast and lunch not only for him but also for their three children - Siya Parveen, a second-year degree student, Swalih of Class 12, and Sahal of Class 11.

Earlier, she would immediately start enumeration work after the morning chores. Now, she squeezes in campaign visits too. “Every day by 7.30 am, I start visiting houses as the UDF candidate seeking votes. I cannot distribute the enumeration form at that time as that would be inappropriate,” she said. “Mostly, I am alone in the morning. Later, party workers join me.”

She returns home by noon for a quick lunch and resumes campaigning with Jaleel, who would be back from work by that time. “At 4 pm, I stop the campaigning and become the BLO. Evening is the only time most residents return home, making it ideal for enumeration work,” she said.

Her dual role, though tiring, comes with one distinct advantage; she is a familiar face in all houses. “There is no need for an introduction because all families know me. There are 1,100 voters in my booth, and I have already distributed enumeration forms to more than 700 of them. They all know I am now the candidate, and it is easier for me to seek their support,” Raseena said.

Raseena did not hesitate to acknowledge the pressure BLOs face, especially in the wake of the recent controversy surrounding the suicide of BLO Aneesh George in Kannur, allegedly due to excessive workload.

“The SIR of electoral rolls is tiring. By night, I am completely exhausted. During the day, we often do not get time for even a toilet break or to drink water,” she said.

She added that many houses have only elderly residents during the day, which slows form-filling. “Each form is exclusive to one voter. If a mistake happens, getting a new form is very difficult. So I have to sit with them and oversee everything. Though I have distributed over 700 forms, only 50 have been returned filled out. Every filled form needs to be scanned and uploaded manually, making the work more tedious,” Raseena said.

Whether this dual role becomes an advantage at the polls or a burden she was forced to endure will only be known once the votes are counted. For now, Raseena is doing what she has always done, going door to door, but this time, with a new purpose.