Uttar Pradesh election authorities have ordered legal action and departmental inquiries against two Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and terminated a computer assistant following the discovery of severe irregularities in over 10,000 voter entries in the Pilibhit Assembly constituency. The action comes after opposition parties alleged large-scale electoral roll manipulation involving duplicated Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers.
Key Inquiry Findings
According to a statement from UP Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Navdeep Rinwa:
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Unverified Data Entries: Between May 31 and August 29, 2026, a computer assistant at the Voter Registration Centre entered 13,779 Form-8 applications (used for updating voter details).
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Approved: 10,470 entries
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Rejected: 3,309 entries
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Missing Documentation: The official inquiry revealed that no supporting application forms or physical records were available in the office to justify or verify these modifications.
Administrative & Legal Actions Taken
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Computer Assistant Dismissed: The operator, identified as Anil Kumar, has been dismissed from service.
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Action Against EROs: Legal proceedings have been directed against two Sub-Divisional Magistrates (SDMs)—Mayank Goswami and Hemant Chaudhary—who served as EROs during the period under scrutiny. They have been attached to the district headquarters pending departmental inquiries.
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Legal Charges: Action is being taken under Section 32 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, alongside relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
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Further Scrutiny: The roles of Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) are also under examination.
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Comprehensive Review: Authorities have ordered a full review of all Form-6 (new voter inclusions) and Form-7 (deletions) applications processed between April 10 and October 21, 2026.
Opposition Allegations
The administrative crackdown follows formal complaints raised by opposition political parties:
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Congress: Alleged large-scale voter roll tampering in the Pilibhit Sadar constituency, claiming that details of 13,150 voters were altered while their EPIC and serial numbers remained identical to other individuals.
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Samajwadi Party: Raised similar concerns regarding duplicate EPIC entries displaying mismatched voter information.
Current Status: Corrective measures are underway to restore irregular Form-8 entries according to election guidelines, with a comprehensive audit report requested by state authorities.
