Bulk Voter Deletion Forms In Jharkhand's Godda Trigger Probe: What We Know

An inquiry has been ordered in Jharkhand’s Godda district after booth-level agents submitted multiple Form-7 applications seeking deletion of voters’ names from electoral rolls, with booth-level officers raising questions over the authenticity of the requests. The allegations come amid the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state, where more than 43.61 lakh names have been excluded from the draft voter list.

BJP Agents Accused Of Submitting Bulk Deletion Forms

The allegations have been pointed at BJP booth-level agents, according to The Indian Express. At several booths, BLA-2 agents allegedly submitted Form-7 applications to BLOs seeking deletion of voters listed as “missing” or “shifted”.

At Booth 9 in Maheshtikri, BJP BLA Sanjeev Kumar said he had been given 25 forms by the party and submitted them on its instructions. He claimed the forms had already been filled when he received them.

BLO Anisha Bano said she refused to sign the receiving document after noticing that the applications were printed and contained names of people who had been living in the area for years. She returned the forms to Kumar.

The issue was also reported at Booth 48 in Pachua Kitta, where BLO Md Mukher said a BLA-2 agent brought around 15 Form-7 applications seeking his signature. Mukher claimed the agent told him that the forms had been supplied by the party and that he was unaware of their implications.

The mukhiya of Vatra panchayat alleged that BJP BLAs had distributed similar forms at four booths — Maheshtikri, Pachua Kitta, Lochni and Baghakol.

The allegations have also triggered a backlash against Kumar. He claimed villagers gathered outside his residence and threatened him after he submitted the forms, saying he had merely followed the party’s instructions.

Election Officials Seek Report As SIR Faces Scrutiny

Basantrai Block Development Officer and Electoral Registration Officer Sriman Marandi said he had ordered an inquiry and stressed that genuine voters could not be removed from the rolls.

“Anyone can raise an objection. I asked the BLOs to accept the forms treating them as objections. Names of genuine voters cannot be deleted in any case,” Marandi told PTI.

In the Maheshtikri case, 24 of the 25 voters named in the applications were found during a preliminary inquiry to have been living in the area for a long time. The remaining voter was reportedly away from the village for two months as a migrant worker.

Jharkhand Chief Electoral Officer K Ravi Kumar has sought a report from the district election officer. He said BLAs could submit forms in bulk but were required to provide a declaration confirming that the information was accurate.

The controversy comes as the Election Commission released Jharkhand’s draft electoral rolls following the SIR enumeration exercise. The number of electors has fallen from around 2.64 crore before the exercise to 2.21 crore in the draft rolls, a reduction of more than 43.61 lakh names.

The EC has extended the deadline for claims and objections to September 15, while publication of the final electoral rolls has been deferred to October 19.

Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal criticised the SIR exercise, calling it “politics of exclusion” and alleging that BJP agents were targeting Muslims through bulk deletion requests. The BJP has yet to respond to the specific allegations in Godda.