Congress alleges voter roll manipulation in UP's Pilibhit, seeks probe into SIR process

The Uttar Pradesh Congress on Wednesday alleged large-scale manipulation of electoral rolls in the Pilibhit Sadar Assembly constituency, claiming that the names of 13,150 voters were changed while their Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) and serial numbers remained unchanged.

Addressing a press conference at the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee headquarters, AICC in-charge for the state Rajendra Pal Gautam alleged that the Election Commission had created a system through which electoral outcomes could be manipulated.

Gautam claimed that following the publication of the final draft electoral roll under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise on April 10, 2026, changes were made to voter details between July and September without altering their EPIC and serial numbers.

The allegations could not be independently verified, and the Election Commission's response was not available in the information provided.

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺𝘀 𝟭𝟲,𝟱𝟱𝟰 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱

According to Gautam, the names of 13,150 voters were changed in Pilibhit Sadar, while 884 names were deleted despite the voters allegedly continuing to reside in the constituency.

He further claimed that 2,600 names belonging to people who did not live in the area were added to the rolls.

Taken together, the Congress leader alleged, the discrepancies involved 16,554 voter entries.

"A voter sees his name, address, EPIC number and serial number in the final draft and assumes that his vote is secure. But if the name is changed later, he may be told on polling day that his name is not in the electoral roll despite having an EPIC card and identity proof," Gautam said.

He said Congress workers were preparing booth-wise lists of the alleged discrepancies and expressed apprehension that similar irregularities could have occurred in other Assembly constituencies.

𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗼𝗳𝘁𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲

Congress social media chairperson and national spokesperson Supriya Shrinate alleged that voter details were being deleted, added and modified through the Election Commission's software systems.

Citing a specific instance, Shrinate claimed that EPIC number 4G-MCM-4746 was initially listed against Mohammad Yusuf, a 35-year-old man, in the draft electoral roll.

However, the same number subsequently appeared against Hasrat, son of Ramzan Ali, also aged 35, she alleged.

According to Shrinate, the EPIC number, age and gender remained unchanged, while the voter's name and father's name were altered.

She claimed that 13,150 such instances had been identified and that the changes appeared to have been made in batches, raising suspicions of software-based manipulation.

"If the same EPIC number is assigned to another person, the original voter may face an identity mismatch at the time of voting and be denied the right to vote," she said.

Shrinate demanded an investigation into how the alleged alterations occurred and who was responsible.

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

UP Congress president Aradhana Mishra 'Mona' described the alleged disappearance of names from electoral rolls as a serious concern, saying eligible voters could be deprived of their franchise despite possessing valid identity cards.

She said the party would seek legal advice and launch a campaign against the alleged irregularities in the SIR process.

Mishra also questioned the role of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and his team, describing the alleged manipulation as "murder of democracy".

Shrinate urged the Supreme Court to reject the SIR process and appealed to citizens to verify their names and other particulars on the Election Commission's website using their EPIC numbers.

She further alleged that large-scale deletions had taken place in Uttar Pradesh after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

According to her, the state had approximately 15.41 crore registered voters in 2024 and should have added around 1.26 crore voters by 2027, assuming an annual net increase of about 35 lakh. Instead, she claimed, approximately 2.04 crore names had been deleted.

Congress state working president and MP Imran Masood also urged voters to remain vigilant and verify their electoral details.

Praising party workers in Pilibhit for identifying the alleged discrepancies, Masood said protecting democratic rights was the responsibility of every citizen.

He added that the Congress would approach the court over the matter and seek accountability for the alleged changes to electoral records.