Congress says Form-7 being misused for targeted voter deletion in several States

On January 29, 2026, the Congress party accused lawmakers of misusing Form-7 to systematically delete eligible voters' names across several Indian states during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Party general secretary K.C. Venugopal highlighted concerns that this centrally-driven mechanism could disenfranchise millions, especially those from marginalized communities.

Venugopal alleged that party workers and media reports had documented cases where individuals associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party were using pre-printed Form-7 documents to mass-delete names. Form-7, governed by Rule 26 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, is designed for specific objections but was reportedly used to delete names en masse.

The letter noted that submitted forms often contained illegible data, invalid contact information, and incorrect details, with many lacking verifiable particulars of the objectors. This alleged misuse reportedly began in Rajasthan and then spread to Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Assam, and Kerala, indicating a nationwide issue rather than localized incidents.

The Congress party argued that if unchecked, these actions could benefit the BJP and disenfranchise millions of voters, particularly from backward and marginalized communities. Venugopal pointed to instances where BJP officials in Assam allegedly accessed databases to facilitate deletions through Form-7. In Rajasthan, senior Congress leaders had previously raised public concerns about the widespread misuse.

The party urged the Election Commission to take immediate corrective measures, including stricter scrutiny of Form-7 applications, uniform guidelines to prevent misuse, and the invocation of constitutional powers to investigate alleged violations. The Congress also called for legal action, including filing FIRs in cases of deliberate false declarations.