EC removes officials, orders UP voter list check as Congress alleges irregularities in 16,000 names

Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Navdeep Rinwa ordered legal action against officials allegedly responsible for errors in Pilibhit Sadar’s electoral rolls. He also ordered the removal of the constituency’s electoral registration officer and the voter registration centre operator. The action followed an investigation into reported voter-record discrepancies.

The investigation found that searching certain Electors Photo Identity Card numbers online displayed the details of different voters. Rinwa also directed district election officers to examine the electoral rolls of every Assembly constituency in their jurisdictions. They had to submit reports within two days.

The response went beyond one constituency because the Congress alleged that similar problems might exist elsewhere. The action acknowledges that incorrect or mismatched voter data can affect whether people appear correctly on polling records. It also creates an official process to identify errors before Uttar Pradesh’s Assembly elections, scheduled for early next year.

An electoral roll is the official list of registered voters for a constituency. Election officials use it to verify who is entitled to vote there. Its accuracy matters because a person may possess a voter identity card but still face difficulty if the person’s name is missing or incorrect on the roll.

EPIC means Electors Photo Identity Card. An EPIC number is the identifying number printed on that voter card and used to locate the associated voter record. A serial number identifies the voter’s position or entry number within the electoral roll. The article refers to both numbers remaining unchanged in some disputed records.

Together, these details help connect a voter to a specific entry. Normally, searching the EPIC number should lead to the correct person’s information. In Pilibhit Sadar, the district investigation found that some searches instead displayed other voters’ details, raising concerns about the reliability of the records.

The Congress said alleged irregularities affected more than 16,000 people in Pilibhit Sadar. The largest group involved more than 13,000 voters whose names were reportedly changed after the final rolls were published in April. Their EPIC and serial numbers allegedly stayed the same.

The party also claimed that more than 800 people were deleted even though they still lived in the constituency. About 2,600 names were allegedly added for people who did not live there. Congress leader Rajendra Pal Gautam said the changes occurred between July and September, around three months after publication of the final rolls.

The allegations describe several different risks: altered identities, missing eligible voters, and entries for people who allegedly lived elsewhere. The state election office confirmed a related technical problem, finding that searches for certain EPIC numbers displayed other voters’ details. It ordered action and broader checks of electoral rolls.

A voter’s name must appear correctly on the electoral roll for officials to verify eligibility at the polling station. If the name is changed or deleted after the final roll is published, the voter may arrive with an EPIC card and identity proof but fail to match the official list.

Congress leader Rajendra Pal Gautam described this risk directly. A voter might see the correct name, address, EPIC number, and serial number in the final draft and assume the vote is secure. If the name changes later, officials could say that the voter’s name is absent from the roll on polling day.

The article does not report that these alleged changes actually prevented specific people from voting. It describes the possible consequence and why the timing matters. The allegations therefore prompted calls for wider checks, especially because Congress said similar irregularities could have occurred in other constituencies.

An EPIC number is intended to connect a voter identity card with the correct entry in the electoral roll. If the number instead displays another voter’s name or details, the system cannot reliably match an individual to the official record. That threatens confidence in the list’s accuracy.

The Pilibhit district election officer’s investigation found that online searches for certain voters’ EPIC numbers displayed details of other voters. The Congress also alleged that some names had changed while EPIC and serial numbers stayed the same. These reports point to mismatched information within the voter database, although the article does not establish how every mismatch occurred.

The Election Commission responded by removing two local officials and ordering legal action. It also told district election officers to inspect rolls across their jurisdictions and report within two days. The wider review matters because a problem that appears in online records could affect voter verification and may not be limited to Pilibhit Sadar.

A Special Intensive Revision, or SIR, is an organized process for reviewing and updating electoral rolls. It can involve checking existing entries, removing names, and adding or correcting voter information. The article says the exercise began in June 2025 and that Uttar Pradesh was part of its second phase.

The process became controversial because more than two crore names, or 13.2% of the state’s final rolls, were deleted in April. Opposition parties and others raised concerns that the pace and method could deny genuine electors their right to vote or influence election outcomes. The Pilibhit allegations added claims of changed names, deletions, and questionable additions.

In May, the Supreme Court upheld the exercise’s legality but said this did not allow the Election Commission to decide whether someone is an Indian citizen. The article also says BJP-ruled states cited the SIR to deny ration cards and, in some cases, passport renewals to people removed from rolls.

Accurate voter rolls are essential because they identify the people entitled to vote in each constituency. They allow election officials to verify voters and help ensure that eligible residents can participate. A reliable list also supports public confidence that election results reflect the electorate.

The Pilibhit allegations show how errors could undermine that process. Congress said more than 13,000 names were changed, over 800 residents were deleted, and about 2,600 names were added for people who allegedly lived elsewhere. The district investigation separately found that some EPIC-number searches displayed other voters’ details.

The article does not conclude that these allegations changed the election result. It notes that the 2022 Assembly contest in Pilibhit Sadar was won by fewer than 7,000 votes, making the claims politically significant. With Uttar Pradesh’s next Assembly elections due early next year, officials have ordered wider checks and reports within two days.