The Election Commission has reiterated that no member of the public can arbitrarily remove any voter's name online, anywhere in the country. In Karnataka's Aland, not a single voter's name was removed maliciously or inaccurately. In response to suspicious attempts to remove names, an official FIR was filed by the ECI authorities in 2023.
'Filling Out Form 7 Alone Doesn’t Remove a Name’
According to the Assistant Director of the Commission, Apoorva Kumar Singh, although an elector from an electoral region can fill out Form 7 online to apply for a deletion, it does not imply that the voter's name is automatically removed just by submission. As per the Voter Registration Rules, 1960, no name can be removed from the electoral roll without issuing a notice to, and hearing from, the affected individual.
Singh revealed that in Aland, Karnataka, 6,018 applications for name removal were submitted online via Form 7. Only 24 applications were verified as correct, while 5,994 were incorrect. Those 24 applications were accepted, and the rest were rejected. Sentiment arose over the authenticity of such large-scale applications, prompting further investigation and leading the Election Registration Officer to file an FIR.
Information Handed Over to Superintendent of Police
Following the instructions from the Election Commission, Karnataka's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) submitted all available information to the Superintendent of Police of Kalaburagi district on 06.09.2023 to complete the investigation. The shared details included objection details such as form reference numbers, objector's name, EPIC number, mobile numbers utilized for login and processing, software application media, IP address, applicant's location, and the dates and times related to form submission and user account creation. The CEO of Karnataka continues to assist the investigating agency with further needed information and documents.
7,792 Applications Received for Name Addition
According to the records, the Aland constituency in 2018 was won by Subhadra Guttedar (BJP) and in 2023 by BR Patil (Congress). In Rajura, Chandrapur, Maharashtra, a total of 7,792 applications for new voter registrations were received. Upon verification, 6,861 applications were deemed invalid and subsequently rejected. Suspecting the authenticity of these large-scale applications for name addition, an investigation ensued, leading to the filing of Crime No. 629/2024 at the Rajura police station.
The officer emphasized that the voter list is curated in accordance with electoral laws, and any modifications, removals, or inclusions in the voter list always adhere to the stipulated legal process. The Election Commission of India's mission is to ensure every eligible voter's name is listed with no ineligible person included.
