FIR filed against Dharavi man over 24 voter deletion bids

MUMBAI: Following a complaint by a Congress MLA, the election authorities have registered the first FIR in the state against a Dharavi resident for submitting 24 applications seeking the deletion of others' names from the electoral rolls. More such criminal action is likely across the state, and district-level election officials have been directed, through an order issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI), to act against those filing false objections using Form 7.

A delegation led by Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad met Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) S Chockalingam last week and raised several issues related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the state's electoral rolls. The delegation alleged that Form 7 was being misused by some people in Dharavi to seek the deletion of voters' names in Congress-dominated areas based on false claims about their eligibility. The CEO's office subsequently asked the BMC commissioner, who is also the district election officer for Mumbai, to verify the complaint and initiate criminal action against those found violating the rules.

The man who filed 24 applications seeking the deletion of names from the electoral rolls in the Dharavi assembly constituency goes by the name of Giridhari Jaiswal. Jaiswal has been booked under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, which provides for action against anyone who knowingly makes a false statement or declaration in connection with electoral rolls. The action against him is also for violating the prescribed limit of 10 Form 7 applications during the period of the SIR exercise. The guidelines cap the number of objections that an elector can file at 10.

The ECI has received more than 50,000 applications under Form 7 during the claims and objections period, which ends on October 26. To prevent its misuse, the ECI and the Maharashtra CEO's office earlier this month issued directives to district-level officials. Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) have to summon complainants for a hearing to verify their credentials and examine the objections against each voter whose deletion has been sought. "If the person filing Form 7 is found to have provided false information, action under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act should be initiated against them," the directive issued on October 13 states.

The instructions come amid the backlash against the ECI's voter-deletion exercise in opposition-dominated constituencies in several states, including West Bengal, using Form 7. In Maharashtra, opposition parties, including the Congress, have alleged that ruling party workers are misusing Form 7 to seek the deletion of voters belonging to particular communities.

"Strict instructions have been issued to district-level officials to ensure that no such malpractice happens," said an official. "Deletion applications may be justified in cases involving deceased or duplicate electors on the draft rolls published on August 31. But there is limited scope for such deletions under Form 7, as the electors on the draft rolls have already been verified by booth-level officers (BLOs) during the SIR enumeration phase. Any objections raised against voters must therefore be strictly verified."

Dharavi Congress MLA Jyoti Gaikwad told HT that the Jaiswal case brought to the notice of the CEO was only one of many. "More applications have been filed against our voters, targeting them on the basis of caste, community and religion," she said. We are meeting the ERO of our constituency to seek more information about these false applications and demand action against the objectors. This has happened across the city, particularly in constituencies with a significant Muslim and Dalit population."

The EC has also asked the Pune district election authorities to probe complaints of the use of spy cameras in the Pune Teachers and Graduates constituencies on Friday. After a complaint was raised by NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule, claiming that the BJP gave voters pens equipped with spy cams to check their votes and reward them later, the office of the Maharashtra CEO directed the authorities to investigate.