UP Voter List Controversy: 10,470 Names Allegedly Altered in One Seat, FIR Filed Against Officials

UP Voter Roll Row: 10,470 Entries Found Irregular in Pilibhit, Three Officials Face FIR

The Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has confirmed irregularities in 10,470 voter record entries in the Pilibhit Assembly constituency, prompting an FIR against two Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and a computer assistant. The computer assistant’s services have also been terminated, according to an official statement issued on Thursday.

The action followed an inquiry into alleged unauthorised changes in electoral records after the publication of the final voter list following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Uttar Pradesh.

According to the CEO’s statement, the inquiry report submitted by the Pilibhit District Election Officer found that the computer assistant had entered 13,779 Form 8 applications seeking corrections to voter details between May 31 and August 29, 2026. However, the office had no physical application forms or supporting documents for these entries.

Corrections were approved in 10,470 of the 13,779 cases, and the inquiry found irregularities in every one of those approved entries. An FIR was subsequently registered against the two EROs and the computer assistant by the Assistant District Election Officer.

Authorities have initiated steps to correct the irregular entries. Departmental proceedings have been ordered against the two EROs, while the role of Assistant Electoral Registration Officers will be examined separately.

Complaints Trigger Investigation Into Voter Records

The inquiry began after complaints that names displayed against the EPIC numbers of voters differed from their details in the final electoral roll published on April 10, 2026, after the SIR exercise.

The CEO has also instructed the Pilibhit District Election Officer to scrutinise all Form 6 applications for adding names and Form 7 applications for deleting names that were entered by the computer assistant between April 10 and October 21. A detailed report has been sought by Friday.

Speaking to The Indian Express, CEO Navdeep Rinwa said the issue was raised in a memorandum submitted by the Samajwadi Party (SP) on October 19, which contained several complaints.

“The matter concerning Pilibhit was mentioned on the third and fourth pages,” Rinwa said. He added that the CEO’s office was closed for Dussehra until October 20, after which the complaint was taken up and a report sought from the Pilibhit District Magistrate.

Advocate Says His Name Was Replaced in Electoral Records

Advocate Faizan Ali Khan separately approached the Pilibhit district administration on October 14, alleging that his name and that of his younger brother, Farhan, were no longer appearing correctly in electoral records despite both being included in the final voter list after the SIR.

Khan, who lives in Awas Vikas Colony in Pilibhit, told The Indian Express that he and his brother had appeared before election officials in response to a notice and submitted documents that were verified.

According to Khan, checking his EPIC number showed the name “Raees Ali”, listed as the son or relative of Huzaib Ali, instead of his own details. Khan said his father’s name is Mushfiq Ali Khan.

He alleged that Farhan’s electoral details displayed the name “Gufran Aslam”, identified as the son of Hamid Aslam. Khan claimed that nobody by either name was known in his neighbourhood and alleged that fictitious identities had been entered into the records, potentially threatening their right to vote.

Khan said officials initially described the discrepancies as a “technical error”. He sought the restoration of the correct details and an investigation into how the changes were made after the final electoral roll had been published and the original documents verified.

He also demanded that the inquiry cover Barkhera, Puranpur and Bisalpur, the other three Assembly constituencies in Pilibhit district.

Congress Team Claims 13,150 Discrepancies

Congress leader Kumud Gangwar said he was alerted to the issue by advocate Rehan Ali, who had reportedly discovered altered names against the EPIC numbers of his brother and sister.

Gangwar also alleged that no official revision exercise had taken place on the dates when changes appeared on the Election Commission of India’s website.

Ali told The Indian Express that he discovered the discrepancies accidentally after overhearing a conversation between a voter and a computer operator. He then checked the records of his own family and alerted neighbours after finding further anomalies.

“I alerted my neighbours and others in my booth and found more anomalies. So I informed Gangwar, who is a friend,” Ali said.

Gangwar claimed that the Congress assembled a team of 55 people, including volunteers, to inspect electoral records booth by booth across the Pilibhit Assembly constituency. Over several days, the team examined records covering around 3.48 lakh voters and identified 13,150 entries with discrepancies, he said.

Gangwar further alleged that many of the changes had been made late at night or on Sundays and public holidays.

He and SP leaders claimed that most of the voters whose details had allegedly been altered were Muslims. Census 2011 data indicates that Muslims make up approximately one-quarter of Pilibhit district’s population.

Opposition parties have raised concerns that discrepancies between voters’ identities and electoral records could lead to eligible voters being challenged or denied the opportunity to vote during elections.

SP and Congress Demand Wider Electoral Roll Checks

With Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections approaching, opposition parties have warned that the reported irregularities may not be limited to Pilibhit.

In the 2022 Assembly elections, BJP candidate Sanjay Singh Gangwar won the Pilibhit seat by fewer than 7,000 votes, with the SP candidate finishing second. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won the Pilibhit parliamentary constituency by a margin of more than one lakh votes.

SP spokesperson Udaiveer Singh said the party planned to conduct similar checks in around 100 Assembly constituencies across the state.

“We are questioning how such changes could have been made after the SIR. In particular, names of Muslim voters have been changed,” Singh said.

Congress state president Aradhana Mishra announced that the party would issue a circular directing all 75 District Congress Committees to verify electoral rolls in their respective areas. The party would also submit a representation to the Election Commission at the state level, she said.

BJP Calls for Investigation Into Alleged Changes

BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi said the party believed in the accuracy of electoral rolls and stressed that all political parties should actively scrutinise voter lists during the revision process.

He urged political parties to participate in verification rather than remain inactive and blame the Election Commission later.

Commenting on the Pilibhit case, Tripathi said any deliberate alteration of voter records should be investigated and that officials found guilty should face appropriate action.

The inquiry is expected to establish how the disputed entries were processed, determine responsibility and help authorities rectify the irregularities identified in the constituency’s electoral records.