New Delhi, October 9 (TNA) The Election Commission of India has capped the number of Form 7 applications that an individual elector can file during the electoral-roll revision process, allowing a maximum of 10 applications during the claims and objections period and five applications per month during continuous updating of the rolls.
Form 7 is used to object to a name's inclusion in the electoral roll or to seek deletion of an entry. The Election Commission’s directions come amid scrutiny of applications filed for voter deletions during the Special Intensive Revision exercise.
According to the ECI communication, individual electors will be permitted to submit up to 10 Form 7 applications during the claims and objections period. During continuous updating of electoral rolls, the limit will be restricted to five applications per month.
Key points
• Individual electors can file a maximum of 10 Form 7 applications during the claims and objections period.
• The limit during continuous electoral-roll updating is five applications per month.
• Election officials must verify applications and conduct proper hearings.
• Applicants who knowingly submit false statements may face action under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
The letter directs Electoral Registration Officers and other election officials to verify each application carefully before taking any decision. Officials have also been instructed to provide the concerned elector an opportunity for a proper hearing, as required under the electoral-roll procedure.
The Commission has further directed officials to initiate action against applicants found to have knowingly submitted false statements or declarations. Such action will be taken only after the prescribed inquiry and verification process is completed.
Under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, knowingly making a false statement or declaration in an electoral application is a punishable offence. The law provides for imprisonment of up to one year, a fine, or both, as mentioned in the ECI’s Form 7 guidelines.
The ECI’s directions place the responsibility on election officials to distinguish genuine objections from applications containing incorrect or deliberately false information. Officials have been asked to maintain due process and ensure that no voter’s name is deleted without verification and an opportunity to respond.
The move comes as election authorities in various states examine a large number of Form 7 applications submitted during the ongoing revision of electoral rolls. In Telangana, for example, officials reported receiving 28,870 Form 7 petitions and ordered verification of applications, including those submitted in bulk or through political parties.