Stop mass disenfranchisement through Form 7: Congress to ECI

The Congress on Thursday raised the alarm over irregularities in the ongoing revision of electoral rolls, accusing the misuse of Form-7 applications to delete voters’ names and warning that the practice could be used to secure an “unfair electoral advantage” ahead of upcoming state elections.

The party sought the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) immediate intervention to prevent what it described as large-scale disenfranchisement of eligible voters.

In a letter addressed to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the two other election commissioners, Congress general-secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal alleged that Form-7 — meant for deletion of names in specific circumstances — was being weaponised during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls currently underway in 12 states.

Calling for urgent corrective measures, Venugopal urged the ECI to institute “strict vigilance and real-time supervision” over the voter deletion process, including close monitoring of Form-7 applications, to prevent “arbitrary, mass or mala fide deletions” of eligible electors.

The Congress leader alleged that party workers and supporters, particularly those perceived to be opposed to the “ruling regime”, were being selectively targeted.

He demanded immediate identification of individuals, including members or workers of the ruling establishment and “other unknown persons,” who are allegedly misusing Form-7 applications to delete voters’ names across states.

Flagging the issue as one that strikes at the heart of electoral democracy, Venugopal also sought full disclosure of data related to Form-7 applications.

He urged the Commission to place in the public domain comprehensive, disaggregated and easily accessible information for all 12 states undergoing the SIR exercise. This, he said, should include the total number of Form-7 applications filed, accepted, rejected and pending, along with constituency-wise and booth-level break-ups for the relevant revision period.

“In the interest of transparency and electoral integrity, such data must be proactively disclosed,” Venugopal wrote, underlining that opacity in voter deletion processes risks eroding public confidence in elections.

The Congress leader urged the ECI to invoke its plenary powers under Article 324 of the Constitution to order an independent investigation into alleged misuse of Form-7 applications and the broader voter deletion mechanism. He further demanded legal action, including the registration of FIRs, in cases where deliberate false declarations or abuse of procedure are established.

“We urge the Hon’ble Commission to treat this matter with the urgency it deserves and to take all necessary steps to ensure that the integrity of the upcoming state elections is maintained,” Venugopal wrote in the letter issued on the All India Congress Committee letterhead.

The Congress’s intervention comes amid heightened political scrutiny of electoral roll revisions, with Opposition parties alleging that procedural tools are being misused to influence voter lists in poll-bound states.