Uttar Pradesh Election Chief Defends Voter List Integrity Amid Allegations
Uttar Pradeshs Chief Election Officer refutes claims of irregularities in the voter list, emphasizing transparency in the electoral process.
Lucknow, October 6 (Daily Kiran) : The Chief Election Officer of Uttar Pradesh, Navdeep Rinwa, has firmly defended the integrity of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, asserting that it was conducted with complete transparency. He addressed recent social media claims suggesting that 1.6 million mysterious voters were added to the state’s voter list, labeling these allegations as unfounded.
Rinwa stated, “Reports circulating on various social media platforms have created confusion by claiming that 1.618 million voters were added during the SIR process in Uttar Pradesh.” He clarified that the SIR was carried out in accordance with the Representation of the People Act of 1950, the Voter Registration Rules of 1960, and directives from the Election Commission of India.
He explained that during the counting phase, which took place from October 27, 2025, to January 6, 2026, booth-level officials collected 1.618 million Form-6 applications for adding names to the voter list. This initiative followed the Election Commission’s instructions issued on October 27, 2025, to conduct the special revision in Uttar Pradesh and other states.
Rinwa emphasized that eligible citizens whose names were not included in the existing voter list as of the start date of the SIR—October 27, 2025—were approached by officials during house-to-house visits to collect these forms. He dismissed claims that names were hidden or not published, stating that only those names submitted during the claim and objection period after the publication of the draft voter list on January 6, 2026, were displayed on the Chief Electoral Officer’s website.
He further noted that in annual brief revisions, the electoral rolls are frozen in accordance with a predetermined schedule before the publication of the draft voter list. This can result in some Form-6 applications remaining unresolved, which are then addressed during the claim and objection period before the final voter list is published.
Rinwa also challenged the narrative regarding the acceptance rate of Form-6 applications, stating that such claims lack any logical basis. There is no fixed percentage requirement for accepting these forms; they are processed based on adherence to established procedures.
He concluded by affirming that the SIR process in Uttar Pradesh was conducted legally, transparently, and inclusively, with active participation from all political parties. To date, no political party or individual has raised any allegations regarding the special revision process in the state.
