SIR forms put Ayodhya sadhus in bind as they write Guru’s name in fathers’ column

AYODHYA: Hundreds of sadhus and saints in Ayodhya have found themselves caught in a procedural tangle during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls after many filled voter forms in keeping with monastic traditions rather than official norms, triggering concerns within the BJP over possible deletion of their names. Ayodhya is home to over 15,000 sadhus and saints, most of whom live in Nirvani Ani, Digambar and Nirmohi akharas. During the SIR exercise, many wrote the names of their gurus or Hindu deities in the column meant for father’s name, while entries such as Kaushalya, Sita, Janaki, Durga and Saraswati were commonly filled in the mother’s name column. Sadhus are traditionally considered a core support base of the BJP, and party leaders privately admit that large-scale rejection of such forms could translate into loss of votes. The SIR process ended on Friday in Uttar Pradesh, leading to the deletion of nearly 2.89 crore names from the voter list, though BJP leaders are unsure how many of those are sadhus.

Nirvani Ani Akhara mahant Sitaram Das, who filled his form on December 10, said he deliberately did not mention his biological parents, explaining that the virakt tradition involves severing all blood relations. He said God alone is everything and that Janaki Mata was entered as his mother as she nurtures the universe. The practice of entering names linked to the Ramayana period is not new in Ayodhya and was first adopted by former BJP MP and late Hindu Dharm Peethadheeshwar Ram Vilas Das Vedanti, later followed by saints from Digambar Akhara and Hanuman Garhi. According to the Ayodhya Development Authority, the city has 60 wards and a population of around 24.7 lakh, including over 15,000 sadhus and saints. A senior BJP leader from the Awadh region said many saints were unaware that incorrect entries could lead to rejection of forms, though some have made corrections. Ayodhya mayor Girish Pati Tripathi said the issue has been taken up with the Chief Electoral Officer, while Deputy District Election Officer Aniruddh Pratap Singh clarified that although mentioning parents’ names is mandatory, flexibility is being exercised for saints, with signatures being treated as sufficient proof and completed forms undergoing scrutiny and mapping with the 2003 voter list.