Samajwadi Party flags SIR irregularities in Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav seeks EC action

Akhilesh Yadav , president of the Samajwadi Party , on Monday raised serious concerns over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Uttar Pradesh , claiming that the process was being misused to delete voters’ names and lacked adequate transparency. He urged the Election Commission of India to intervene, issue clear procedural guidelines and ensure accountability of officials involved in the exercise.

Addressing a press conference in Lucknow, Yadav said the SP would approach the Election Commission with a detailed memorandum seeking clarity on the rules governing voter deletions, registration of FIRs in cases of wrongdoing and the corrective action to be taken against erring officials. He asserted that deletions under Form 7 , which is used for removing names from electoral rolls, should be initiated only through the prescribed mechanism and verified by booth-level officers, and not driven by unauthorised or unidentified sources.

The SP chief demanded greater transparency in the SIR process , including public access to Form 7 submissions with details such as the Assembly constituency, booth number and the identity of the person seeking deletion. He alleged that a large number of deletions were affecting voters from backward, Dalit and minority communities , and called for close monitoring of such cases to prevent disenfranchisement and safeguard the integrity of elections.

Explaining the broader context, the party noted that SIR is a routine pre-election exercise undertaken by the Election Commission to update electoral rolls by removing ineligible entries, correcting errors and ensuring accuracy of voter data. However, the SP maintained that without transparent procedures, audit trails and effective grievance redressal, the exercise could be vulnerable to misuse for politically motivated voter removals .

Reiterating the need for institutional safeguards, Yadav said systematic checks, time-bound disposal of complaints and strict action against officials found guilty of lapses were essential to maintain public confidence in the electoral process. The party said it would continue to pursue the matter with the Election Commission and raise the issue in the Assembly to ensure that no eligible voter is denied the right to vote.