Goshamahal election officer warns parties over unsigned bulk voter deletion forms

Ero of Goshamahal constituency warned political parties that any attempt to force booth‑level officers to accept unsigned bulk Form‑7 applications for voter deletion will trigger criminal prosecution. The alert came after a booth‑level officer reported that a party agent named Sai Kiran handed over 180 pre‑printed forms without applicant signatures and pressed the officer to process them. Uma Prakash shared the warning in a WhatsApp group used for party communications, noting that the practice breaches Election Commission guidelines and asking parties to forward such lists to her for verification. She added that if pressure continues, legal cases will be filed. Similar unsigned bulk submissions have surfaced after the Musheerabad incident, later in Bahadurpura and now Goshamahal, all linked to agents said to be working for the Bharatiya Janata Party. In each case the voters targeted for removal were Muslim, highlighting a communal angle. The ERO said only three deletions have been approved in Goshamahal after following the full verification steps, which include a field visit, a panchanama survey, and proof such as a death certificate or a signed declaration. She emphasized that unsigned forms alone cannot be accepted. The BLA denied submitting any forms in bulk when approached for comment. The screenshot of the WhatsApp warning spread widely on social media, underscoring ongoing concerns about mass voter‑list manipulation.

Context

Bulk Form‑7 submissions aim to delete voters from electoral rolls, a process meant to be slow and evidence‑based. Attempts to bypass checks risk undermining the fairness of elections and can lead to legal action under election law.