Form-7 storm: Cong seeks SIT probe, CEO says knowingly false electoral claims will face action | Hyderabad News

Hyderabad: Allegations of a systematic attempt to purge Congress supporters from electoral rolls pushed the special intensive revision (SIR) exercise into a fresh controversy on Monday, with Telangana Congress seeking criminal action over bulk Form-7 applications even as the chief electoral officer directed scrutiny of knowingly false voter deletion claims.Amid mounting political heat over the SIR of electoral rolls, Telangana Congress approached Hyderabad police, saying an organised operation is on to remove its leaders, booth-level agents (BLAs) and their family members from electoral rolls through bulk, pre-filled Form-7 applications.TPCC Election Commission coordination committee chairperson Pulipati Rajesh Kumar sought registration of an FIR and a special investigation team (SIT) probe into alleged instances reported from Musheerabad, Bahadurpura and Goshamahal during the ongoing SIR exercise.In a complaint submitted to Hyderabad police commissioner, Congress alleged that Sivegi Bala Chander alias Balu, identified as BJP’s BLA at polling booth 210 in Musheerabad, had submitted applications seeking deletion of Congress BLA Sharfuddin and nearly 30 of his family members from the electoral rolls.The party urged police to verify whether the persons shown as applicants had actually initiated, authorised or signed the forms submitted in their names.Congress leaders alleged that similar pre-filled forms surfaced in Bahadurpura on Oct 1. In Goshamahal, a BJP BLA allegedly brought around 15 pre-filled Form-7 applications to the booth-level officer of polling booth 173 on Oct 3. According to the complaint, the officer declined to accept them because they lacked applicants’ signatures and were submitted in bulk.Rajesh Kumar sought a probe into allegations that the forms were generated through an organised chain beginning at BJP’s state office and routed through assembly constituency in-charges to local BLAs. He also sought an examination of the possible role of state BJP president N Ramchander Rao, while stating that any criminal action should be based on evidence establishing responsibility.The complaint further sought an investigation into the source of voter data, printing and distribution of the forms, and any financial or organisational backing behind the exercise. It also requested police to ascertain whether similar instances had occurred elsewhere in the state.Congress asked investigators to preserve and forensically examine the forms, signatures, printing details, electoral records, CCTV footage and digital communications, besides recording statements from all concerned. It sought action under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act.In a separate development, CEO C Sudharsan Reddy directed electoral authorities to act against applicants making knowingly false declarations, after an inquiry. He issued a memo on Oct 5 amid allegations that bulk Form-7 applications were being filed without the knowledge or consent of voters.The memo instructed GHMC commissioner and district election officers to direct electoral registration officers (EROs) to invoke Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act against applicants found to have knowingly made false statements or declarations in Forms 6, 6A, 7 and 8.The CEO, however, clarified that such action could be initiated only after an inquiry under Rule 20 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, establishes that the declarations were knowingly false.