Telangana SIR: Formal complaint lodged by ERO against applicant for bulk Form-7 applications in Musheerabad
Election authorities have filed a police complaint against an individual accused of submitting bulk applications seeking deletion of voters in Musheerabad constituency under false declaration on Form-7, amid the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Electoral Rolls in Telangana.
Background
The action follows directions from Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) C. Sudharsan Reddy to all District Election Officers to proceed against applicants who knowingly make false statements or declarations in electoral forms. The guidance covers Forms 6, 6A, 7, and 8 under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and stipulates that any such action should be preceded by an inquiry in accordance with Rule 20 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.
Complaint filed after inquiry
According to officials, the complaint was lodged by Musheerabad Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) Praveen Kumar Reddy at the Chikkadpally police station following an inquiry into the applications. As the alleged offence is non-cognizable, police recorded it in the General Diary and referred the matter to the court for further action. Subsequent steps will be taken as per court directions, sources said.
Allegations of coordinated bulk deletions
The accused, identified as Balachander, was reportedly a booth-level agent (BLA) of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He is said to have submitted Form-7 applications seeking the deletion of 31 individuals from the electoral roll, all belonging to the same family, including a Congress BLA.
Officials and political actors raised concerns after the applications were found to be pre-printed with voter names, prompting suspicions that the forms were centrally generated and distributed to BLAs for submission. BJP leaders, however, refuted these allegations.
Similar forms surface in other constituencies
Subsequent reports indicated that similar pre-filled forms emerged from Bahadurpura and Goshamahal constituencies. All the names listed in those applications were Muslim, intensifying accusations of a deliberate attempt to target members of the community. Accounts of comparable incidents from other States added to the suspicions, according to those tracking the developments.
Legal framework and administrative direction
The CEO’s directive emphasizes the use of provisions under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, which deals with penalties for false declarations in relation to electoral rolls. The instruction also underscores the requirement of an inquiry process under Rule 20 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, before initiating penal action. Form-7 is the prescribed form for objections seeking deletion of names from the electoral roll.
Timeline of the SIR process
The Claims and Objections phase of the Special Intensive Revision concludes on October 7, 2026. The deadline for disposal of claims and objections is November 5, 2026, and the final electoral rolls are scheduled for publication on November 9, 2026.
What comes next
With the complaint now referred to the court due to the non-cognizable nature of the offence, further proceedings will depend on judicial directions. Election authorities are expected to continue scrutinizing similar applications and take action in line with the CEO’s instructions and applicable legal provisions.
Published: October 5, 2026
