The Election Commission of India (ECI) and its local functionaries may have been the biggest bulk deleter of voters in Telangana and elsewhere in the country without adhering to prescribed procedure as part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Rolls (SIR).
Lakhs of voters who were bunched under the ‘Absent, Shifted, Dead, and Duplicate’ (ASDD) categories, were deleted by the respective Electoral Registration Officers on behalf of the ECI without following the procedure laid out in the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.
It is learnt from reliable sources that Form-7s with regard to all these deletions were auto-generated by the ERONET software, with EROs’ names mentioned as the objectors.
At the end of Enumeration Phase in Telangana, a total 73,39,235 electors were shown under the ASDD categories, majority of them as Absent and Shifted.
As per the officials, all the voters who have not collected/returned the Enumeration Forms were shown under the ASDD categories, though the deaths have been accepted only after receiving death certificates or declaration by family members as proof. Duplicate voters were recognised by running the ERONET software for demographically and photographically similar entries. A total 45,18,963 voters have been listed as ‘Permanently Shifted’, while 11,25,546 were shown as Absent/Untraceable voters.
However, there is no confirmation in case of majority of the voters shown under the Absent and Shifted categories, as very few Booth Level Officers actually went from home to home distributing the Enumeration Forms and collecting them back.
Most of the BLOs especially in the urban areas, set up their work place at one central location, and distributed the forms to only those who came to collect them. At the end of the Enumeration Phase, the BLOs simply submitted reports marking those who had not collected/returned the forms as either Absent or Shifted.
Later, at a tap on the mobile app, auto-generated Form-7s digitally signed by the EROs were generated and the voters got deleted, before draft electoral rolls were published.
Soon after the Enumeration Phase, the office of the Chief Electoral Officer displayed the ASDD list on its website, and asked the voters who got deleted to apply afresh for enrolment through submission of Form-6. When sought their version, officials from the CEO’s office said the EROs were authorised by law to take up suo-motu deletions as part of the intensive revision.
The Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 do authorise the EROS to delete names if, owing to inadvertence or error or otherwise, the names of dead, shifted and other persons have been included into the rolls.
The EROs, however, are obligated to prepare a list of names and details of the electors, and display them on the notice board of their respective offices along with a notice seeking objections. Only after considering any verbal or written objections may the ERO decide about deletions.
As per the ECI guidelines, the Form-7 deletions must be displayed in the prescribed Form 10 for at least seven clear days before the ERO can make a decision. Form 10 is the consolidated report that lists all Form 7 objections filed each day during the notice period.
The guidelines also mandate display of the names at ERO offices, and CEO website, besides sharing them with the political parties.
The ASDD list, however, was not displayed in the prescribed format of Form-10 each day, nor were the voters allowed to file objections before deletion.
Each constituency ASDD list is superscribed with a line that said the list of uncollectable forms was prepared by BLOs in consultation with the Booth Level Agents, public representatives and others. Those who have objections, may submit an ‘application’ with a copy of the Aadhaar card, the instructions say, but do not specify what kind of application needs to be filed.
On the CEO’s website, the ASDD list was displayed along with an option to check the minutes of the meeting signed by the BLAs authorising the ASDD voters polling station wise. In several such instances, irrelevant documents, Aadhaar cards, and unrelated photos were uploaded instead of the minutes signed by BLAs.
Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee’s Election Cell in-charge P. Rajesh Kumar alleged that even in cases where BLAs signed the minutes, the signatures were obtained before filling in the format with the ASDD numbers.
“Several EROs and AEROs obtained the signatures towards the end of July, even while the enumeration was going on. BLAs signing the forms were not aware of the purpose,” Mr. Rajesh Kumar said. He brought the matter to the attention of CEO C.Sudharsan Reddy on August 1, 2026 through a letter, but by that time, the forms were reportedly filled and signed in a large number of constituencies.
When sought his version about the arbitrary deletions, Mr. Sudharsan Reddy said the ASDD list is on display on the website, and also at the EROs’ offices, for receiving voters’ objections. Asked if the votes would be restored in case the electors file objections, he said Form-6 will have to be filed for fresh enrolment in any case.
In an earlier instance, speaking about the Form-7 deletions, the CEO had mentioned that mere filing of the form does not result in deletions, without ground verification.
If the ERO is satisfied about the validity of the Form-7 objection, he or she may allow the deletion after expiry of the 7-day notice period without further enquiry.
In case the ERO is not satisfied, he or she must give a hearing notice to the objector, and the person, whose name is proposed for deletion. Notice may be served personally, by registered post, or by affixing it at the person’s residence, Mr.Sudharsan Reddy said.
ERO disposes the Form-7 application with a speaking order as per his findings in the hearing and enquiry, and then deletes the vote.
In case of ASDD deletions, this procedure was given a go by, which indicates that EROs were fully convinced of the need for the deletion, and taking complete responsibility for their decision.