Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Dismisses Allegations of Voter List Deletions
Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Navdeep Rinwa on Tuesday firmly rejected allegations by political parties regarding large-scale deletion of names from the electoral rolls during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR). Rinwa stated that complaints raised from constituencies including Bidhuna, Bhojipura, Babaganj, Sakalya, and Pratapgarh were thoroughly investigated and found to be incorrect.
Detailed Investigations and Training Initiatives
Rinwa emphasized that the election commission has conducted five meetings with political parties since the SIR began in the state. On each occasion, the procedures for additions and deletions have been explained in comprehensive detail. Additionally, booth level agents (BLAs) have received specialized training to monitor changes in the rolls and utilize technological tools for verifying entries.
Addressing specific allegations, the CEO clarified that no voter names were deleted in Bidhuna. Claims made in Bhojipura regarding the removal of Samajwadi Party booth-level agent Ateeq Ahmed's name were also determined to be baseless. Similar accusations from Babaganj, Sakalya, and Pratapgarh were proven incorrect after meticulous scrutiny.
Guidance and Data Accessibility for Political Parties
Rinwa highlighted that political parties have been provided with clear guidance on reviewing draft voter lists and checking categories such as absent, shifted, dead (ASD), duplicate entries, and refused-to-sign cases. Data for 2.88 crore such entries is available online, along with lists of 3.26 crore voters who have been issued notices, ensuring transparency and accessibility.
Comprehensive Training for Election Officials
Before the revision drive, all 75 district election officers and 403 electoral registration officers underwent intensive training in Lucknow. This training covered constitutional provisions, the Representation of the People Act, voter list manuals, the BLO app, and the ERO-Net system. An additional training session was conducted on Tuesday at the Uttar Pradesh Academy of Administration and Management, attended by six district election officers and 55 electoral registration officers.
Legal Framework and Statutory Procedures
Responding to Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav's objection to Form 7, Rinwa clarified that the process is mandated by law and not an administrative decision. He explained that the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and the Registration of Electoral Rules, 1960, prescribe the procedure for publishing draft rolls, inviting objections and claims, and processing deletions and additions.
Rinwa elaborated that Form 7 serves a crucial statutory purpose: it allows objections to be raised after the draft roll is published, because errors may occur at the booth level. Many citizens who submitted enumeration forms earlier did not find their names in the draft roll due to mistakes or because their names were not on the Oct 27, 2025 base list. Form 6 and Form 7 provide them with the opportunity to correct such gaps, ensuring electoral integrity and inclusivity.
