Uttar Pradesh: ‘Irregularities’ found in over 10,000 entries to Pilibhit electoral rolls

The irregularities involved 10,470 electoral-roll entries marked as corrections. They mattered because unsupported changes could cause identity mismatches or deny people their right to vote.

An investigation found that a computer assistant at Pilibhit’s Voter Registration Centre entered 13,779 Form 8 applications. Form 8 is used to shift residence or correct details on an existing roll. Officials found no forms or records for any entries, and all 10,470 approved correction applications contained irregularities.

This followed complaints that names had been replaced while voter identity and serial numbers stayed unchanged. The chief electoral officer ordered checks of related Form 6 additions and Form 7 deletions, plus corrections to faulty Form 8 entries. Legal action is planned against current and former registration officers, while the assistant’s services will end.

Form 8 is the official application for changing details already held in a voter record. It legally covers shifting a voter’s residence or correcting existing information, not adding a new voter or deleting one.

In Pilibhit, a computer assistant entered 13,779 Form 8 applications, but officials found no supporting forms or records. Of these, 10,470 correction applications were approved, and irregularities were found in every one.

The Uttar Pradesh chief electoral officer ordered the irregular Form 8 entries corrected under the rules. Legal action is also planned against current and former registration officers, while the assistant’s service will end. The case shows why Form 8 changes require records: incorrect details can create identity mismatches at polling stations. The broader review deleted more than two crore names from Uttar Pradesh’s final rolls in April.

In Pilibhit, a computer assistant entered 13,779 Form 8 applications during electoral-roll work. Form 8 applications are used to change addresses or correct details for existing voters. The case matters because 10,470 applications were approved as corrections, and officials found irregularities in every one.

That approved total is roughly one and a half times the BJP’s winning margin in the 2022 Assembly election. BJP candidate Sanjay Gangwar won Pilibhit by fewer than 7,000 votes. The comparison shows why disputed roll changes can be politically significant, although it does not establish that the changes affected the result.

Officials said no forms or supporting records for the 13,779 entries were found in the office. The chief electoral officer ordered investigations into related Form 6 additions and Form 7 deletions made through October 21. Corrections to the 10,470 Form 8 entries are underway. Legal action is planned against officers, and the computer assistant will lose their job.

A genuine voter could face an identity mismatch at the polling station and be refused the chance to vote. The problem occurs when the voter’s unchanged Elector Photo Identity Card number is linked to somebody else’s name. Officials may then be unable to match the person presenting the card with the electoral roll.

The Congress warned about this risk after Uttar Pradesh’s Pilibhit roll was revised. It said more than 13,000 voters’ names had been replaced, while their identity-card and serial numbers stayed unchanged. One complaint came from advocate Faizan Ali Khan, whose record reportedly showed “Raees Ali” against his voter number.

The chief electoral officer said irregularities affected all 10,470 approved Form 8 correction applications. These applications were entered by a computer assistant, but the office had no supporting forms or records. Authorities are investigating related additions and deletions, and correcting affected entries under the rules.

Legal action is planned against Pilibhit’s current and former electoral registration officers. A computer assistant at the constituency’s voter centre will also have their services terminated. These measures followed an investigation into 10,470 irregular roll entries after the special intensive revision.

Investigators found the assistant entered 13,779 Form 8 applications, used to change addresses or correct existing details. No supporting forms or records were available, prompting the action. Rinwa said irregularities affected every one of the 10,470 approved correction applications.

Officials ordered a thorough review of every Form 6 addition and Form 7 deletion entered by the assistant. The review covers April 10 through October 21. Officials are also correcting irregular Form 8 entries under election rules, while the checks seek to identify wrongful changes.

A Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is a large-scale check of electoral rolls. It verifies voters’ details and eligibility, then updates or removes entries that no longer qualify. It matters because errors can wrongly deny genuine voters their ballot.

In Pilibhit, officials found irregularities in 10,470 Form 8 entries after the revision. Form 8 covers address changes and corrections. A computer assistant entered 13,779 applications, but records for them were missing. This shows how incorrect entries or weak checks can alter names while identity numbers remain unchanged.

Across Uttar Pradesh, final rolls published in April deleted more than two crore names, or 13.2%, from over 15 crore electors. The article does not give one reason for every deletion, but the scale raised fears that genuine voters were removed. The Supreme Court upheld the exercise’s legality in May, but said the Election Commission cannot decide Indian citizenship.

An accurate electoral roll ensures that every eligible citizen can vote once, while preventing wrongful additions or deletions. It makes election results reflect voters’ choices and supports trust in representative government.

Pilibhit shows how errors can threaten both goals. A computer assistant entered 13,779 Form 8 applications, but no supporting records were found. Of these, 10,470 correction applications were approved; all showed irregularities. Keeping the same identity number for a different name could cause rejection at the polling station.

Protection requires documented applications, independent checks, correction notices, and accessible appeals before names are removed. Officials must investigate unusual patterns and keep identity details consistent. Uttar Pradesh deleted more than two crore names, or 13.2%, during the revision. Investigations now cover additions and deletions through October 21. These safeguards help clean rolls without turning mistakes into lost voting rights.