The Election Commission of India (ECI) has tightened the rules governing requests to delete names from electoral rolls, setting numerical limits on the number of Form-7 applications an individual elector can file.
In a directive issued on Friday, the Commission asked Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of all states and Union Territories to ensure that the new restrictions are implemented. The move follows instances of individuals filing multiple objections without substantiated grounds, causing inconvenience to voters whose names were challenged and adding to the workload of election officials.
Form-7 is used to object to the inclusion of a name in the electoral roll or seek its deletion. Under Rule 13(2) of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, such applications can be filed only by individuals registered in the electoral roll of the constituency concerned.
New limits for Form-7 applications
The ECI has introduced separate limits for applications submitted during the Claims and Objections period and during Continuous Updation.
An individual elector can now file a maximum of 10 Form-7 applications throughout the entire Claims and Objections period. During Continuous Updation, the limit will be five applications per individual elector per month.
Previously, the Commission's Manual on Electoral Rolls, 2023, prohibited bulk filings by individuals and required Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) to cross-verify cases when an elector objected to more than five names. However, the absence of a uniform limit for offline submissions had left the decision to EROs, leading to administrative confusion.
Political party-appointed Booth Level Agents (BLAs) are subject to separate provisions during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). They can submit up to 50 forms per day before the draft electoral roll is published and 10 forms per day afterwards.
Signature and verification rules tightened
The Commission has reiterated that every application must contain complete details and the original signature of the objector. The use of signature seals is prohibited.
EROs have been instructed to verify applicants' credentials against the electoral roll to establish the authenticity of their submissions. Applications that do not comply with the prescribed timeline, form or procedure must be rejected under Rule 17 of the 1960 rules.
Hearings mandatory before deciding objections
The revised instructions require EROs to issue notices to objectors, conduct personal hearings and record separate statements for each Form-7 application before deciding objections under Rules 19 and 20.
If an objection is found valid, the person whose name has been challenged must also be given an opportunity to be heard before a final order is issued.
The ECI has further directed officials to initiate action under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, if an ERO finds that a complaint contains a knowingly false statement or declaration.
Directions sent to electoral officials
The instructions were issued by Sandeep Kumar, Under Secretary, ECI, in a letter to the CEOs of all States and Union Territories. They have been asked to circulate the directives among EROs, Assistant Electoral Registration Officers and field functionaries for immediate compliance, besides ensuring public awareness of the new requirements.