Last Updated on October 24, 2026 12:31 am by INDIAN AWAAZ
Pilibhit Exposes Electoral Roll Concerns; Opposition Plans Wider Checks Across UP
Inquiry follows complaints of names being changed against voter ID numbers; Opposition alleges wider discrepancies ahead of Assembly polls
By Arun Srivastava
New Delhi: The Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has ordered legal action against two Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) after an inquiry found irregularities in 10,470 electoral roll entries in Pilibhit Assembly constituency. The services of a computer assistant at the constituency’s Voter Registration Centre have also been terminated, while an FIR has been filed against the three by the Assistant District Election Officer.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the CEO’s office said an inquiry conducted by the Pilibhit District Election Officer found that a computer assistant had entered 13,779 Form 8 applications seeking corrections to voter details between May 31 and August 29, 2026. However, the office had no physical forms or supporting records for these entries.
Of the 13,779 applications entered into the system, corrections in 10,470 cases were approved. The inquiry found irregularities in all these approved entries, the statement said.
Departmental proceedings have been ordered against the two EROs, while an inquiry has been initiated into the role of Assistant Electoral Registration Officers. Authorities have also begun the process of rectifying the irregular entries.
The CEO has separately directed the Pilibhit District Election Officer to scrutinise all Form 6 applications for inclusion of names and Form 7 applications for deletion of names entered by the computer assistant between April 10 and October 21. A detailed report was sought by Friday.
The inquiry follows complaints that names different from those of the actual voters were appearing against their Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers in the final electoral roll published on April 10, following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Uttar Pradesh.
Speaking to The Indian Express, CEO Navdeep Rinwa said the issue was raised in a memorandum submitted by the Samajwadi Party (SP) on October 19, which covered several matters. “The matter concerning Pilibhit was mentioned on the third and fourth pages,” Rinwa said.
He added that the CEO’s office was closed for Dussehra until October 20, after which the matter was taken up and a report sought from the Pilibhit District Magistrate.
Voters allege names replaced in electoral records
The controversy gained attention after advocate Faizan Ali Khan complained to the Pilibhit district administration on October 14 that his name and that of his younger brother, Farhan, were missing from their correct electoral records despite their inclusion in the final roll following the SIR.
Khan told The Indian Express that the two brothers had appeared before election authorities in response to an official notice and submitted documents that were verified.
According to his complaint, checking his EPIC number displayed the name “Raees Ali”, identified as the son or relative of Huzaib Ali, instead of his correct details. His father’s name is Mushfiq Ali Khan. Against his brother Farhan’s details, the name “Gufran Aslam”, son of Hamid Aslam, allegedly appeared.
Khan said no individuals by those names were known in his neighbourhood and alleged that the changes could deprive the brothers of their right to vote. He sought restoration of their correct details and an investigation into how the changes were made after publication of the final electoral roll and verification of their original documents.
He also called for the inquiry to be extended to the district’s other three Assembly constituencies — Barkhera, Puranpur and Bisalpur.
Congress claims wider discrepancies
Congress leader Kumud Gangwar said he was alerted to the issue by advocate Rehan Ali, a Pilibhit resident who allegedly discovered altered names against the EPIC numbers of his brother and sister.
Ali told The Indian Express that he discovered the discrepancies by chance after overhearing a conversation between a voter and a computer operator. He subsequently checked his family’s records, alerted neighbours and found additional anomalies, which he brought to Gangwar’s attention.
Gangwar claimed that the Congress assembled a team of 55 volunteers to check electoral entries booth by booth across the Pilibhit Assembly constituency, which has around 3.48 lakh voters. Over several days, the team identified 13,150 entries it considered discrepant, he said.
He further alleged that many changes had been made late at night, on Sundays or on holidays, and claimed that no official revision exercise had taken place on the dates displayed on the Election Commission of India’s website.
Gangwar and SP leaders alleged that many of the voters whose details had been changed were Muslims. The claims have not been independently established in the information available.
Opposition parties demand wider scrutiny
SP spokesperson Udaiveer Singh said the party feared that discrepancies might extend beyond Pilibhit and planned similar checks in around 100 Assembly constituencies across Uttar Pradesh.
“We are questioning how such changes could have been made after the SIR. In particular, names of Muslim voters have been changed,” Singh said.
Congress state president Aradhana Mishra said the party would issue a circular to all 75 District Congress Committees to verify electoral rolls in their respective areas. The party would also submit a representation to the Election Commission at the state level, she said.
The BJP defended the electoral roll revision process while calling for accountability if deliberate wrongdoing was established.
“We believe in the accuracy of electoral rolls,” BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi said, adding that all political parties had a responsibility to scrutinise voter lists during the revision process.
“If someone deliberately made these changes, the matter should be investigated and action taken against the officials found guilty,” he said.
The developments come months before the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. In the 2022 polls, BJP candidate Sanjay Singh Gangwar won the Pilibhit seat by a margin of fewer than 7,000 votes, with the SP candidate finishing second. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won the Pilibhit parliamentary constituency by a margin exceeding one lakh votes.
The inquiry into the 10,470 entries now places the accuracy of electoral records and the accountability of officials at the centre of a politically sensitive issue. The findings of the further scrutiny will be crucial in determining the extent of the discrepancies and whether any deliberate attempt was made to alter voter information.