Lucknow: Amid Opposition leaders’ claim about the misuse of form-7, UP’s chief electoral officer Navdeep Rinwa has clarified that it cannot be misused to arbitrarily delete anyone’s name. He emphasised that strict checks, verification and inquiry procedures are already built into the law to prevent wrongful deletions.Post special intensive revision (SIR), form-7 is the application used to object to a voter’s inclusion in the electoral roll, and seek deletion of one’s own, or any other person’s name.
Explaining the legal framework, Rinwa said form-7 is filed in only two situations: When an objection is raised against an existing name in the voter list, or when someone opposes a new registration made through form-6. “Only a person whose name already exists in the electoral roll of that assembly constituency is allowed to submit Form-7,” he said while speaking to TOI. “Under the registration of electors rules, 1960, the applicant must provide his own name and voter ID number, the name of the person being objected to, and a clear reason for seeking deletion. Acceptable grounds include death, non-citizenship, or the voter’s name already being listed elsewhere,” said Rinwa.Responding to a TOI query on reports where individuals claimed their names were used in form-7 submissions without their knowledge or consent, Rinwa said, “Directions have been given to all district election officers and electoral registration officers to verify the authenticity of the signatures on every form-7 submitted. This aims to prevent false claims or impersonation.”Once form-7 is submitted, it does not automatically lead to name deletion. A structured inquiry process follows. Notices are issued both to the objector and the person being objected to. Both parties are given the opportunity to present their case and submit supporting evidence — such as a death certificate or proof of foreign citizenship.The final decision rests with the electoral registration officer, based on the evidence presented.Rinwa assured voters that the process includes strict checks and balances. “Nobody’s name will be struck off arbitrarily. There are safeguards in place, and no one should panic,” CEO told TOI.
