UP districts: Questions raised over BLO performance with low voter deletions

Lucknow: Questions have been raised over the functioning of Booth Level Officers in several Uttar Pradesh districts where the number of names deleted from the draft electoral roll is significantly lower than the state average.

A confidential review by the Election Commission has found that in these districts, a large number of enumeration forms were submitted without photographs and mobile numbers of voters. Officials believe that if photographs and mobile numbers are properly collected, more names in the categories of deceased, shifted or absent voters are likely to be identified and removed from the rolls.

Following the review, the Commission has issued necessary instructions to all District Election Officers. The Commission has also expressed apprehension that in some of these districts, enumeration forms may have been submitted by BLOs without conducting proper door to door verification.

In Uttar Pradesh, the draft electoral roll was published on January 6. Compared to the electoral roll that was frozen on October 27, around 18.70 per cent names have been deleted in the draft list across the state.

However, several districts have reported deletions far below the state average. In Lalitpur, only 9.95 percent names were deleted. The review found that a large number of enumeration forms submitted by BLOs in the district did not have photographs and mobile numbers uploaded.

Similarly, in Pilibhit, Amroha, Hamirpur, Mahoba, Banda, Chitrakoot, Ghazipur and Ambedkar Nagar, deletions ranged between 10.78 percent and 13.85 percent. The Commission has analysed enumeration forms from these districts as well.

Officials clarified that names can now be removed from the draft roll only after completing the prescribed process through Form 7. During the enumeration phase, names for which forms were not returned were deleted, but any further changes will have to follow the formal objection and verification procedure.