The Telangana Congress has sought the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged misuse of Form 7s under the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
The party alleged that pre-filled Form-7 applications are being prepared and submitted in multiple constituencies in Hyderabad in an attempt to delete the names of Congress leaders, workers, their family members, and other genuine voters from electoral rolls.
The demand for the SIT was made in a letter, dated October 5, to the Hyderabad City Commissioner of Police by Pulipati Rajesh Kumar, Election Commission Coordination Committee chairman of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee.
“Any organised attempt to misuse Form-7 applications to remove genuine voters through false declarations, fabricated particulars or impersonation must be treated with the utmost seriousness,” the letter said.
According to the complaint, incidents of Form-7 misuse were reported in Musheerabad, Bahadurpura, and Goshamahal constituencies in Hyderabad. The similar nature of the reports across three constituencies raises suspicions of a “larger coordinated operation,” it alleged.
Regarding Musheerabad, the complaint alleges that BJP Booth Level Agent (BLA) Sivegi Balachander alias Balu submitted Form-7 applications seeking deletion of the name of Congress BLA Sharafuddin and around 31 members of his family. The Congress has questioned whether those named in the applications had actually submitted or authorised them.
TNM had previously reported about the alleged Form-7 misuse by BLA Balachander in Musheerabad.
In Bahadurpura, similar pre-printed Form-7 applications were reportedly detected on October 1, according to the complaint.
In Goshamahal, around 15 pre-printed Form-7 applications were allegedly brought by a BJP BLA for submission to the Booth Level Officer (BLO) at polling booth 173 on October 3. The BLO reportedly did not accept them as they did not carry the signatures of the respective applicants and were submitted in bulk, the complaint said.
Rajesh Kumar has sought an investigation into whether the applications originated from a common source or database and whether electoral details of Congress leaders, workers, their families and other voters were collected and used without their knowledge or consent.
The complaint said there were allegations that a large number of pre-printed Form-7 applications were prepared at the BJP Telangana state office and supplied to the party’s BLAs. The alleged role of BJP Telangana president N Ramachander Rao should also be investigated, including whether he had prior knowledge of or supported the alleged activity, the complaint demanded.
“The investigation must determine who prepared the forms, who printed them, who ordered their preparation, who distributed them, who coordinated the process, and who provided financial or organisational support, if any,” a press release by the Congress said.
The Congress has demanded that the police investigate the allegations, and book those responsible under Sections 212 and 217 (concerning giving false information to a public servant), 61 and 61(2) (regarding criminal conspiracy), and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with Section 31 (false declarations) of the Representation of People Act.
Meanwhile, the Telangana Chief Election Officer (CEO) C Sudharshan Reddy, on October 5, issued a notice stating, “[I]t has come to the notice of this office that there have been instances of filing of bulk applications in Form-7 before the EROs and it is also alleged that such forms are not genuine.”
The CEO instructed the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Chairman, Hyderabad District Election Officer (DEO), as well as all other district collectors and DEOs to “issue necessary instructions that the EROs shall take action against the applicants, who have made knowingly false statement or declaration in writing in Form-6, 6A, 7 & 8, as per the provisions of Section 31 of the Representation of People Act.”