In a constituency won by barely 6,970 votes by the BJP against the SP in 2022, the Opposition’s detection of 16,554 discrepancies in the post-SIR voter list — and the poll panel’s subsequent confirmation of 10,470 irregular entries — has set off statewide alarm bells over how undetected roll anomalies on this scale could overturn victory margins in future polls. A major voter list anomaly in Pilibhit Sadar has triggered the Election Commission’s first statewide scrutiny in Uttar Pradesh, raising doubts over the integrity of closely fought seats in elections to come.
Kumud Gangwar said, “We cross checked each of the 3.48 lakh voters with a team of over 50 people and took 96 hours to bring out the total discrepancy. Pilibhit district magistrate Alok Kumar confirmed the FIR and said preliminary investigations, conducted on the directions of UP chief electoral officer Navdeep Rinwa, had found lapses on the part of Puranpur SDM Mayank Goswami and Amariya SDM Hemant Chaudhary. Both officers have been removed from their posts and attached to the district headquarters, while computer operator Anil Kumar has been dismissed from service. Departmental proceedings against the two SDMs have also been initiated. “Sitting in a cyber cafe, I saw someone unable to download EPIC (electors photo identity card). Alarmed, I checked all seven voters in my family only to find two had different names with same EPIC number. Uttar Pradesh Congress has decided to launch a campaign to demand checking of all voter lists across the state. “This discrepancy debars an eligible voter from the right to exercise franchise.
We had checked the final draft list in April and had it correct,” said Rehan Alvi, a lawyer, who was among the first few to notice the glitch. We are taking legal opinion to go forward on the issue across state,” said UP Congress chief Aradhana Mishra. An FIR was registered on Thursday against two sub-divisional magistrates (SDMs) and a computer operator over alleged irregularities in the electoral roll of Pilibhit Sadar assembly constituency, with the district administration initiating criminal and departmental proceedings.
“According to the investigation report received, 13,779 Form-8 entries were made by the computer assistant (VRC operator) at the voter registration centre of the assembly constituency 127-Pilibhit between May 31, 2026 and August 29, 2026 for amendments to voter details. Of these, 4,717 forms were entered till July 16, 2026, and the remaining 9,062 forms entered between July 17, 2026 and August 29, 2026,” said a press statement. Directions have been given to the district election officer, Pilibhit, to conduct a thorough investigation of all Form-6 entries for adding names to the voter list and all Form-7 entries for deletion of names by the VRC operator of the VRC between the end of SIR-2026 (April 10, 2026) and October 21 and submit a detailed report within a day in the CEO office, he said.
Instructions have also been given to conduct a thorough investigation into the role of the assistant electoral registration officers concerned in the case and submit a report, he said. UP chief electoral officer (CEO) Navdeep Rinwa said a detailed investigation report was received on Thursday from the DEO, Pilibhit, regarding a complaint that the EPIC number of voters registered in the voter list for Pilibhit assembly constituency displayed another voters’ details.
