EPIC nos. unchanged, names altered: Cong flags voter-list 'fraud' in UP

• Congress alleges 13,150 voter names were changed in Pilibhit Sadar despite unchanged EPIC and serial numbers.

• Party claims 16,554 entries were affected by alleged name changes, deletions and invalid additions.

• UP Congress plans district-wise verification and legal action, while seeking Supreme Court intervention over SIR.

The Congress on Wednesday, 21 October accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of large-scale manipulation of electoral rolls in Uttar Pradesh, alleging that 13,150 voters in Pilibhit Sadar had their names changed between July and September despite their electors photo identity card (EPIC) numbers and serial numbers remaining unchanged.

The party claimed that a total of 16,554 voter entries in the constituency were affected by alleged irregularities, including 804 deletions and the addition of 2,600 names of people who, according to its own verification, did not live in the area.

The allegations were made by Uttar Pradesh Congress in-charge Rajendra Pal Gautam and All India Congress Committee (AICC) social media and digital platforms chairperson Supriya Shrinate, who questioned the integrity of the electoral-roll revision process under chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The Congress alleged that the changes were made after the completion of the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Uttar Pradesh. The final roll was published on 10 April, but the party claimed that further changes were made between July and September without a transparent process.

The party demanded that the Supreme Court take cognisance of the allegations, halt the SIR exercise and reject revised electoral rolls in states where the exercise had been conducted.

Uttar Pradesh Congress president Aradhana Mishra said the party would take the fight against the alleged irregularities to every district. It plans to investigate electoral rolls, conduct its own verification and seek legal advice.

What are the allegations in Pilibhit?

Gautam alleged that the names of 13,150 voters in Pilibhit Sadar were changed while their EPIC numbers and serial numbers remained the same.

To illustrate the alleged discrepancy, Shrinate cited the example of a voter identified in the party's presentation as Mohammad Yusuf, son of Rasital, aged 33. The Congress claimed that searching the same EPIC number returned the name Hasrat, son of Ramzan Ali, also aged 33.

The party argued that retaining the identifying numbers while changing the voter's name and father's name could prevent a legitimate elector from finding their entry in the electoral roll.

The Congress further alleged that 804 people who continued to live in the constituency had been removed from the list, while 2,600 names had been added for people who did not reside there, according to its field verification. Together, the three categories account for the 16,554 entries the party claims were affected.

Congress alleges software manipulation

Shrinate alleged that the discrepancies pointed to systematic manipulation through electoral-roll software. She questioned the role of Seema Khanna, whom the party identified as the head of the ECI's technology and software division.

The Congress claimed that district magistrates, sub-divisional magistrates and additional district magistrates had complained of lacking access to the software, even after examining documents and recommending the inclusion of eligible voters. It alleged that some names were not added despite officials recommending their inclusion after checking the applicants' documents.

The party attributed the alleged discrepancies to the way the software was being administered and demanded that the ECI provide district-level officials with full access to correct erroneous entries.

Congress questions deletion of 2.04 crore voters

The controversy follows the publication of Uttar Pradesh's revised electoral roll on 10 April, after the SIR exercise.

According to the Indian Express, the state's electorate fell from 15.44 crore before the revision began in October 2025 to 13.39 crore in the final roll — a reduction of more than 2.04 crore electors, or 13.21 per cent.

The draft roll published on 6 January had retained around 12.55 crore electors after nearly 2.88 crore names were removed in the initial phase. During the subsequent claims-and-objections process, 84.28 lakh names were added and another 8.15 lakh were deleted.

Shrinate questioned the scale of the deletions, arguing that Uttar Pradesh should have added around 1.26 crore voters between 2024 and 2026, based on the party's estimate of an annual net addition of 42 lakh electors.

On that basis, the Congress argued that 3.30 crore voters had effectively been lost from the rolls when the expected additions were factored into its calculation.

Congress plans verification in every district

The Uttar Pradesh Congress unit said it would expand its investigation beyond Pilibhit Sadar and examine electoral rolls in every district. Mishra said the party would conduct its own verification of voter lists, seek legal advice and mobilise its organisation and workers to challenge what it described as illegal, undemocratic and unconstitutional deletions.

The party also appealed to district magistrates and sub-divisional magistrates to come forward if they had not been involved in the alleged irregularities, seek full access to the electoral-roll software and help correct discrepancies.

Saharanpur MP Imran Masood urged voters to check their registration details using their EPIC numbers, warning that they needed to take steps to protect their voting rights.

The Congress has asked voters who find discrepancies to contact its district or state offices. It has also demanded that the Supreme Court intervene in the SIR process and order the rejection of revised electoral rolls wherever the exercise has been conducted.