Hundreds of people, including members of Muslim and Christian communities, held a protest in Jharkhand’s Mahuadanr block on Thursday, alleging that Form 7 applications were being misused during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls to target eligible voters.
The protest was organised by the Sanyukt Sarvdaliya Ekta Manch. Protesters marched through Mahuadanr carrying placards before holding a sit in outside the office of Sub Divisional Officer Suleman Mundari. They later submitted a memorandum seeking an investigation into the alleged misuse of the voter deletion process.
The demonstration comes amid wider concerns over Form 7 applications in Jharkhand. The Election Commission has extended the deadline for claims and objections under the SIR process to September 30. As of September 14, the state had received 5,689 Form 7 objections.
Protesters Allege Targeting of Minority Voters
The rally began at Shaheed Chowk and passed through Shastri Chowk, Birsa Chowk and Rampur Chowk before reaching the SDO office.
Protesters raised slogans including, “Stop tampering with the voter list” and “Every voter has the right to be represented in a democracy.”
Addressing the gathering, Ajit Pal Kujur, district president of the Congress ST Morcha, alleged that people associated with the BJP were submitting Form 7 applications to seek deletion of Muslim and Christian voters from the electoral rolls.
He claimed that such cases had been reported in areas including Pahadkapu and Amwatoli.
Another speaker, Khajimuddin, alleged that objections were being filed against people who continued to live at their registered addresses. He demanded an investigation into the applications and legal action against anyone found to have submitted false objections.
Concerns Over Role of Election Officials
Protesters also raised concerns about the role of Booth Level Officers during the revision process.
Manina Kujur alleged that BLOs were being pressured to sign documents connected with Form 7 applications.
The protesters demanded that every deletion request be properly verified before action is taken against a voter.
The Election Commission has said that filing a Form 7 does not automatically result in deletion. The Electoral Registration Officer must follow the prescribed process, including inquiry and hearing, before taking a final decision.
Similar Form 7 Concerns Reported in Jharkhand
The Mahuadanr protest comes after reports of bulk Form 7 applications in other parts of Jharkhand.
An Indian Express investigation in Godda found that BJP Booth Level Agents had submitted multiple Form 7 applications seeking deletion of voters, many of them from minority communities. BLOs at several booths had raised objections over the applications.
Following the report, district election authorities ordered an inquiry into Form 7 applications submitted at a booth in Maheshtikri village.
The protesters in Mahuadanr have now urged the administration to ensure that no eligible voter is removed from the electoral roll without proper verification.
