Telangana SIR: Unsigned Form-7s Prompt ERO Warning of Criminal Action

The Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) of Goshamahal constituency in Telangana has issued a stern warning against attempts to pressure Booth Level Officers (BLOs) into accepting unsigned Form-7 applications during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The warning follows a series of incidents where bulk deletion requests were submitted without the required signatures, raising concerns about the fairness of the voter roll revision process.

In the latest instance, ERO Uma Prakash posted a message in a WhatsApp group created for communication with political parties, stating that a Booth Level Agent (BLA) named Sai Kiran brought 180 application forms to a BLO and pressured the latter to accept them. She said this violates the guidelines of the Election Commission of India (ECI) and asked parties to submit lists to the ERO for proper verification. She warned that if such pressure tactics continue, criminal cases will be booked. The screenshot of her message was widely shared on social media.

When contacted, Ms. Prakash confirmed that BLAs were bringing forms without signatures and without any documentary proof, forcing BLOs to accept them. “A BLO called me in an instance, and I told the agent that such forms would not be accepted. There is a whole procedure behind deletions. Merely bringing unsigned forms will not do,” she said. She added that she has so far approved only three deletions in the constituency after proper verification.

Ms. Prakash explained the procedure: “The BLO goes to the location, conducts a panchanama, and confirms the death or shifting. If it is a death, he/she will ask the family to provide a death certificate or, in case it is not available, a signed declaration form. Without this, we will not approve even a single deletion. This is why the process is very slow.”

The BLA concerned, Sai Kiran, denied the allegations when reached for his version, stating that he had never tried to submit Form-7s in bulk.

The issue first came to light in Musheerabad, where a BLA of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) submitted 30 Form-7 applications seeking deletion of voters from a single family. Upon verification, the claim was found to be false, prompting action against the agent by election authorities. Following this, similar cases were unearthed in Bahadurpura and Goshamahal, where pre-printed forms without signatures were brought to BLOs.

In all these cases, the BLAs are alleged to be representing the BJP, while the voters whose names were sought to be deleted were Muslim, suggesting a politically divisive angle. The BJP has not officially responded to these allegations. The incidents have cast doubts on the sanctity of the SIR process, which is intended to clean up electoral rolls.

The ECI has laid down clear guidelines for deletions, requiring due process to prevent wrongful removal of eligible voters. The ERO’s warning underscores the need for strict adherence to these guidelines to maintain public trust in the electoral system. As the SIR continues, authorities face the challenge of ensuring that the process remains transparent and fair for all citizens.