Telangana Congress alleges coordinated attempt to remove genuine voters from Hyderabad electoral rolls; seek SIT probe

The Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) has approached the Hyderabad Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar alleging a coordinated attempt to remove genuine voters, including Congress leaders, workers, their family members and supporters, from electoral rolls through the use of pre-filled Form-7 applications during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

The party has demanded the immediate registration of an FIR and the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to conduct a comprehensive probe.

Complaint indicating organized operation

A delegation led by TPCC Election Commission Coordination Committee chairman Pulipati Rajesh Kumar, along with SSA In-charge Gampa Venugopal, DCC presidents Motha Rohit, Deepak John, and Khalid, submitted a detailed complaint alleging that suspicious Form-7 applications had surfaced in Musheerabad, Bahadurpura and Goshamahal Assembly constituencies within a span of a few days, indicating a possible organized operation.

Form-7 for deletion of Congress BLA and family members from rolls

According to the complaint, in Musheerabad constituency, a BJP Booth Level Agent (BLA) allegedly submitted Form-7 applications seeking the deletion of the names of Congress BLA Sharfuddin and around 31 members of his family. Congress leaders claimed the applications appeared to have been pre-printed or pre-filled, raising serious concerns over their authenticity and whether the affected individuals had consented to or signed the forms.

The complaint also cited similar incidents in Bahadurpura and Goshamahal. In Goshamahal, around 15 pre-printed Form-7 applications were allegedly presented to a Booth Level Officer (BLO), who reportedly refused to accept them because they lacked the applicants’ signatures and had been submitted in bulk.

Mr. Rajesh Kumar alleged that the emergence of similar applications in three constituencies suggests the possibility of a common source, shared database or coordinated network. He urged police to investigate who prepared, printed and distributed the forms, how the electoral details of voters were obtained and whether there was a larger conspiracy aimed at influencing electoral rolls.

The Congress leader also sought an inquiry into allegations that such applications were prepared and circulated through BJP organizational channels, including at the state level. He called for an investigation into all individuals involved, irrespective of their political position or status.

The TPCC demanded that police seize the disputed applications, preserve official records, conduct forensic examinations of signatures, handwriting and printing patterns, collect CCTV footage and digital communication records, and verify whether similar applications had been submitted elsewhere in Telangana.

Describing the issue as a serious threat to democratic rights, Mr. Rajesh Kumar said any attempt to remove eligible voters through false applications would amount to an attack on the electoral process. He urged authorities to invoke relevant provisions of the Representation of the People Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita if the allegations are substantiated. He said protecting the right to vote is essential for safeguarding democracy and called for swift action to identify and prosecute those responsible.