Cong delegation submits memorandum to CEO, alleges irregularities in SIR
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 12 Aug: A Congress delegation led by PCC Chief Ganesh Godiyal met the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Dr BVRC Purushottam, here, today and submitted a memorandum alleging irregularities in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision process. The delegation objected to the filing of more than 150 objections under a single individual’s name and demanded immediate corrective action.
Through the memorandum, Godiyal stated that the SIR process had begun on 29 May 2026 and the draft electoral roll was published on 14 July 2026, with claims and objections invited until 13 August 2026. During this period, several serious anomalies have been observed. He claimed that the analysis of Form-10, which records details of objections filed through Form-7, reveals disturbing trends. Despite repeated complaints on 30 July, 6 August and 10 August, large-scale online filing of Form-7 objections by the same individuals has continued unchecked.
Godiyal said that Congress booth-level agents (BLAs) also reported that some persons were repeatedly filing multiple Form-7 objections online, even against the voters who were found residing at their declared addresses during verification. In certain cases, the same objector filed objections across different assembly constituencies, raising suspicion that the process was being misused to target genuine voters for deletion. Preliminary analysis of Form-10 data and compiled lists of objectors indicated that some individuals had filed more than 150 objections each, while others had submitted between 50 and 150 objections across booths and constituencies.
He claimed that “such systematic misuse” undermines the transparency, accountability and credibility of the entire revision process. The Representation of the People Act, 1950 treats false declarations in electoral rolls as an offence, while the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 require objections to be specific, verifiable and subject to inquiry. Filing mass objections without verifiable grounds violates these principles and could also attract penal consequences under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
Godiyal also warned that ‘organised misuse of the legal framework’ can lead to large-scale deletion of genuine voters’ names and weaken the safeguards and verification measures. Such activities, it said, threaten the sanctity of the electoral roll and erode public trust in the electoral process.
The Congress demanded that all the returning officers (ROs) and the electoral registration officers be directed to conduct detailed inquiries in cases where one objector has filed multiple Form-7 objections in one or more constituencies. Verification of the objector’s identity, contact details and authenticity of repeated objections must be ensured, and if found baseless, such objections should be rejected at the preliminary stage itself. The party urged that no voter’s name be deleted solely on the basis of online Form-7 objections, and that BLOs must carry out mandatory field verification before any deletion. District election officers should report daily on mass filing of objections to the CEO for review and corrective action. Legal proceedings should be initiated against individuals filing false or malicious objections. The Congress party reiterated its ‘commitment’ to protecting the voting rights of genuine electors and safeguarding the integrity and fairness of the democratic process.
Among those present with Godiyal were Pradesh Congress general secretary Rajendra Shah, SIR committee member and Pradesh secretary Amendra Singh Bisht, Pradesh spokesperson and chargesheet committee member Pratima Singh, advocate Sandeep Chamoli, Rakesh Negi, Vinod Kumar, Surbhi Shah, Dimple, Nitin Bisht and others.
