Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and a prominent Congress figure, has raised allegations against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Election Commission of India (ECI). He claims that there is a deliberate effort to remove approximately 15,000 voters from the electoral rolls in Belagavi, Karnataka. This assertion was made on October 1, following a concerning surge in Form 7 applications aimed at deleting names from the electoral lists.

According to Gandhi, this surge occurred over a brief period from September 22 to 24, when a high volume of applications was submitted. He contended that the deletions disproportionately targeted communities that are less likely to vote for the ruling party, including Muslims, Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC).

Gandhi stated, “In just three days, there was a flood of Form 7 applications to remove nearly 15,000 voters… They are being systematically targeted because they do not support the BJP.” Form 7 is the official document used to either contest the inclusion of a name or to request its removal from the electoral rolls.

Concerns Raised by Congress Leaders

The influx of Form 7 applications has generated apprehension among local Congress officials and booth-level officers. Gandhi further elaborated on the alleged use of a centralised software system that could facilitate the mass deletion of voters by targeting “select” individuals. This method, he claimed, signifies the BJP and the ECI’s collusion in undermining electoral integrity.

Local Congress leaders have reportedly demanded that a First Information Report (FIR) be filed against individuals allegedly involved in this process at the Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer’s office. Gandhi raised concerns over the refusal to register the FIR and suggested that this reluctance undermines democratic processes.

Election Commission and BJP Respond to Allegations

The Election Commission of India and regional election authorities have issued statements to clarify the procedures governing Form 7 applications. Officials have emphasised that no voter’s name can be removed solely based on the submission of such forms without a thorough verification process. This process involves field verification, the issuance of notices to affected voters, and a series of checks by Booth Level Officers (BLOs) before a deletion is enacted.

In response to the allegations, BJP representatives have firmly denied any claims of systematic manipulation, framing the filing of objections as a lawful right intended to maintain the accuracy of electoral rolls. BJP leaders maintained that any fraudulent submissions by individuals should be subjected to standard legal scrutiny, distancing themselves from any allegations of collusion or voter suppression.

BJP MP Jagadish Shettar commented, “The Election Commission has no power to delete genuine votes. If there are duplicates or deceased individuals on the list, then those names should indeed be removed.” He called for maintaining fairness and equality in the electoral process while opposing any political narratives that he believes could lead to minority appeasement.

Long or Short, get news the way you like. No ads. No redirections. Download Newspin and Stay Alert, The CSR Journal Mobile app, for fast, crisp, clean updates!

App Store –  https://apps.apple.com/in/app/newspin/id6746449540 

Google Play Store – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.inventifweb.newspin&pcampaignid=web_share