Telangana Congress flags alleged bid to bulk-delete voters using Form 7 in Musheerabad

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A complaint filed by the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee with Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) C Sudharshan Reddy has raised concerns over alleged attempts to facilitate a bulk deletion of voters from the electoral rolls in Musheerabad constituency during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

The complaint centres on several Form-7 applications allegedly submitted by a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) booth-level agent seeking the deletion of the names of a Congress party booth-level agent, who is also a Muslim man, and more than 30 members of his family. Form 7 is used to object to the inclusion of a name in the electoral roll or seek its deletion.

According to the Congress party, the applications contained the names of the family members and residential address in printed form, while only the applicant’s name was handwritten.

The Congress has questioned how such pre-filled forms were prepared and circulated, alleging that they could indicate a wider effort to target party workers and their supporters. It has urged the CEO to conduct a detailed inquiry and take action if any wrongdoing is established. The party has also raised the possibility that such material may have been distributed through political party networks.

Responding to the concerns, CEO Sudarshan said at a press conference on Thursday, October 1, that the filing of multiple Form-7 applications would not automatically result in deletion of voters from the electoral rolls. He said every such request would be subjected to scrutiny and verification before any changes were made to the rolls.

Under the Election Commission’s procedure, a registered voter can submit multiple objections within a constituency. However, if an individual files more than five objections, the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) is required to undertake a mandatory review.

The CEO also stressed that simply submitting a Form-7 application by itself does not remove an elector from the rolls. Where an elector’s mobile number is linked to their Electors Photo Identity Cards (EPIC), an SMS notification is sent regarding the proposed deletion. Details of Form-7 applications are also displayed on the ERO’s notice board for seven days, after which notices are served on both the objector and the elector concerned.