Lucknow: The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Uttar Pradesh has escalated into a major political controversy, with Samajwadi Party (SP) president and former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav launching a sharp attack on the BJP and the Election Commission. He demanded the immediate cancellation of all Form-7 applications submitted so far and called for strict action against those allegedly involved in irregularities.
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Akhilesh Yadav alleged large-scale manipulation in the voter list revision process. He claimed that complaints related to Form-7 were emerging from across the state and accused the BJP of attempting to delete voters’ names through fraudulent means. The SP, he said, has formally lodged a complaint with the Election Commission and demanded FIRs against those found guilty.
The former Chief Minister alleged that preparations were underway to remove nearly 1 crore 99 thousand 710 voters from the electoral rolls. He claimed that the process was being selectively targeted, particularly against PDA communities, including Muslims.
Citing Sitapur as an example, Akhilesh Yadav said investigations revealed that a complainant who could not write had allegedly signed a complaint form. He further alleged that lakhs of Form-7 documents were printed with the Election Commission’s knowledge and circulated systematically.
Akhilesh also accused a senior IAS officer of threatening Booth Level Officers (BLOs) from the Chief Minister’s Office, stating that he would disclose the officer’s name at an appropriate time. He questioned the transparency of the process, claiming that voters were not being shown the correct electoral rolls and were instead being handed outdated Panchayat election lists.
Former minister Yogesh Verma, present at the press conference, alleged that over 6,300 votes in his assembly constituency were being prepared for deletion.
Akhilesh Yadav further claimed that pre-filled Form-7 applications with EPIC numbers were being sent constituency-wise. He cited incidents from Sultanpur, Kannauj and Lucknow’s Sarojini Nagar area, alleging forged signatures and wrongful deletion attempts, including the removal of a Muslim woman BLO’s name in Sultanpur.
He asserted that electoral laws mandate FIRs for submitting false forms and appealed to party workers and PDA volunteers to remain vigilant and ensure that no eligible voter is deprived of their right to vote.
