Cong alleges bid to delete 30-member Muslim family from Hyderabad voter rolls

Hyderabad: An alleged attempt to remove around 30 members of a Muslim family from the electoral roll in Hyderabad’s Musheerabad has prompted the Congress to approach Telangana Chief Electoral Officer C Sudharshan Reddy, claiming that pre-printed Form-7 applications were used for the proposed deletions.

The complaint, dated October 1, was submitted by Pulipati Rajesh Kumar, chairman of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee’s Election Commission Coordination Committee, along with Mohd Wajid Hussain. Hyderabad-based journalist Sudhakar Udumula subsequently reported the development and shared details of the complaint on X, Maktoob Media reported.

The Congress complaint names S Balachander, also known as Balu, whom the party identified as a BJP booth-level agent for polling booth No. 210. Congress BLA Shafuddin and around 30 members of his family were listed as the electors whose names were allegedly targeted for deletion.

According to the Congress, the Form-7 applications appeared to have been prepared and printed in advance rather than independently completed by the individuals shown as applicants. The party has therefore asked the Election Commission to preserve the original forms and examine the signatures, handwriting, dates, mobile numbers, EPIC details and supporting documents attached to them.

The complaint also seeks statements from the people listed as applicants to establish whether they actually prepared, signed and submitted the forms. Election officials have been asked to check whether the applications share similar formatting, handwriting or other characteristics that could indicate a common source.

The Congress has also called for an investigation into whether similar applications were filed against other party leaders, their relatives or other voters. It specifically sought scrutiny of Balachander’s role and whether he personally submitted the applications or helped facilitate their submission.

The complaint referred to Election Commission guidelines requiring applicants seeking deletion through Form-7 to specify the prescribed reason, with the responsibility for establishing the stated reason resting with the applicant. It also pointed to the declaration in Form-7 that knowingly providing false information is punishable under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950.

The Congress has sought an inquiry and legal action if the allegations are established.

The complaint comes amid growing scrutiny of voter deletions during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls across several states. Researchers and civil society groups have raised concerns that organised efforts to seek deletions could result in eligible voters being removed without adequate verification.

In Telangana, nearly 29,000 Form-7 applications have been submitted so far. Chief Electoral Officer C Sudharshan Reddy said on Thursday that 28,753 such applications had been received, with around 5,000 originating from Hyderabad. Siddipet and Sangareddy were among the other districts recording significant numbers.

Form 7 is used to object to the proposed inclusion of a name or seek the deletion of an existing entry from the electoral roll.

The latest allegations have intensified calls for stronger safeguards in the SIR process, with activists and researchers urging election authorities to thoroughly verify deletion applications and ensure that eligible voters are not removed from electoral rolls without following due procedure.