Pilibhit 'vote theft' row: UP orders probe, Cong says action falls short

CEO orders legal action over voter ID discrepancies and statewide checks; Congress says action against junior officials not enough

UP orders legal action over discrepancies in Pilibhit Sadar's electoral roll.

Congress had cited changes to 13,150 names, 804 deletions and 2,600 additions.

Supriya Shrinate says action against junior officials is insufficient and demands SIR rollback.

Following a press conference by the Congress, the Uttar Pradesh chief electoral officer (CEO) has ordered legal action against officials over discrepancies in the electoral rolls of Pilibhit Sadar, prompting Congress social media and digital platforms chairperson and AICC spokesperson Supriya Shrinate to renew her demand for the scrapping of the special intensive revision (SIR) exercise, arguing that action against a few junior officials will not address what the party alleges is a wider operation to manipulate voter lists.

In a press release issued on 21 October, the CEO's office said an inquiry had confirmed that searches for certain electors photo identity card (EPIC) numbers in the online electoral roll showed details of other voters.

The authorities have directed that the errors be corrected immediately and that the electoral registration officer and the voter registration centre (VRC) operator be removed from electoral-roll duties. Legal action has been ordered under Section 32 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

.EPIC nos. unchanged, names altered: Cong flags voter-list 'fraud' in UP. The district election officer has also been asked to submit a detailed report on the responsibilities of the assistant electoral registration officers concerned.

The CEO has ordered a detailed examination of electoral rolls across all Assembly segments in Pilibhit district, with a report due within two days. District election officers across Uttar Pradesh have been instructed to carry out similar checks and submit reports within the same period.

Congress questions scope of action

Shrinate said the Congress had exposed what it described as a conspiracy to steal votes in Pilibhit Sadar at a press conference in Lucknow on 20 October. She said the Election Commission of India (ECI) had acted after the party raised the allegations, but argued that action against a few junior officials was insufficient.

'This is not enough -- this is a much bigger game being played on a widespread scale,' she said in a post on X, demanding that the SIR exercise be scrapped.

The Congress had earlier alleged large-scale manipulation of the Pilibhit Sadar electoral roll. According to the party, 13,150 voters' names had been changed despite their EPIC and serial numbers remaining unchanged; 804 voters had been deleted despite continuing to live in the constituency; and 2,600 names had been added for people who, the party claimed, did not reside in the area.

The CEO's office has ordered further scrutiny of electoral rolls across Uttar Pradesh. The findings of those inquiries, along with the investigation into the officials concerned, will be important in determining the extent of the discrepancies and whether responsibility extends beyond those initially named for action.