Lucknow, February 18 Alleging that a large number of names of their supporters are being deleted, Samajwadi Party leaders on Wednesday submitted a written complaint to the Uttar Pradesh chief electoral officer, alleging large-scale irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list process.
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said that he hoped the Election Commission would take cognizance of the party's objections and evidence, deliver a fair decision, and initiate legal action, including registering FIRs against those found guilty.
The party claimed that no action had been taken on its repeated complaints and alleged that a "triangular nexus" involving the EC administration and the BJP had initiated a process of issuing notices to certain voters under the pretext of "logical errors".
The party further alleged that Form-7 applications seeking deletion of names from electoral rolls were being filed in the names of unidentified persons and claimed such applications were being submitted in bulk by the BJP at several places.
It demanded that those responsible for filing such forms be identified.
A memorandum submitted by the SP alleged that booth-level officers (BLOs) had earlier conducted door-to-door verification and removed a large number of entries, and claimed that attempts were now being made to delete names of SP supporters from the voter list.
Among its key demands, the party sought that the process of name deletion through Form-7 be initiated only by authorized government BLOs, and that daily data on applications, including constituency, booth, and applicant details, be made public. It also called for disclosure of the basis on which such applications are filed.
The party said that action should be taken under relevant provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 against those found filing false declarations or applications on behalf of others, and sought strict enforcement of legal provisions against wrongful deletion or inclusion of names in electoral rolls.
It alleged that large numbers of Form-7 applications bearing printed voter details had been submitted across assembly constituencies and claimed that such applications targeted specific categories of voters.
The party urged the poll panel to identify those responsible for allegedly submitting fraudulent applications and register FIRs where necessary to ensure a transparent revision process.
A delegation of party legislators, including Kamal Akhtar, Prabhu Narayan Singh Yadav, R K Verma, Manoj Paras, Shahjil Islam, Mahendra Nath Yadav, Sangram Singh Yadav, Mohammad Faheem Irfan, Ravidas Mehrotra, Sachin Yadav, Pankaj Malik, Nawab Jan, and Ram Adhar Rajbhar, submitted the memorandum and sought immediate action.
Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Navdeep Rinwa assured the delegation that no eligible voter's name would be removed without due process.
They said that BLOs would conduct door-to-door verification on Form-7 applications, and notices would be served to both the voter and the applicant, with a decision taken only after a waiting period.
The officials also said that in cases of "logical discrepancies", BLOs would carry out verification at the voter's residence and update records after matching details with earlier electoral rolls.
They added that inquiries would be ordered if Form-7 applications were found to have been submitted in bulk, and action would be taken against those found guilty.
He assured that issues raised in the memorandum would be examined and appropriate steps taken, party leaders said.
Regarding the issue of Nandlal, who was present in Akhilesh Yadav's press conference in which it was alleged that he used a thumb but his forged signature was used in the form, Rinwa later told reporters that he inquired about the matter and he has not given a complaint.
"He (Nandlal) can register an FIR in this matter," he said.
The SP leaders also highlighted specific incidents of name deletions to the UP CEO.
Later, in a post on X, Akhilesh Yadav said the memorandum submitted by his party's delegation to the poll authorities reflected "a hope that has always resided in the honest conscience of every individual".
"It is not always that people commit wrongdoing on their own; at times, those in power compel officials to act improperly. We continue to believe in the principle of impartial justice we learnt in childhood," he said.
Referring to alleged irregularities in the Form-7 process, Yadav said he was confident that the Election Commission would take cognizance of the party's objections and evidence and deliver a fair decision and initiate legal action, including registration of FIRs against those found guilty.
"Democracy will be safeguarded only when the Election Commission remains mindful of its distinguished legacy, and that alone will uphold the dignity of every official," he added.