UP CEO directs strict compliance with ECI guidelines on Form 7 applications

Under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, knowingly making a false statement or declaration in writing in connection with the preparation, revision or correction of an electoral roll, or the inclusion or deletion of any entry in it, is a punishable offence. The guilty person can be sentenced to imprisonment for up to one year, fined, or both, he said.

Uttar Pradesh chief electoral officer Navdeep Rinwa on Saturday directed all district electoral officers and electoral registration officers to strictly comply with the Election Commission of India (ECI) guidelines on applications filed through Form 7, which is used to raise objections to the inclusion of names in, or seek deletion of names from, existing electoral rolls.

UP chief electoral officer Navdeep Rinwa (File)

Under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, knowingly making a false statement or declaration in writing in connection with the preparation, revision or correction of an electoral roll, or the inclusion or deletion of any entry in it, is a punishable offence. The guilty person can be sentenced to imprisonment for up to one year, fined, or both, he said.

Applicants are also required to submit a prescribed declaration with Form 7. If an objection filed through Form 7 is found to be false during an inquiry by the electoral registration officer, action will be taken against the applicant under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, he said.

In accordance with the ECI’s instructions dated October 9, all officers concerned have been directed to investigate and dispose of objections received through Form 7 in accordance with the rules. If an objection is found to be false or fabricated, action should be taken under the relevant legal provisions.

Special drive held across UP to enrol voters

Meanwhile, a special campaign was organised at polling stations across Uttar Pradesh on Saturday to enrol eligible citizens, including first-time voters, whose names were missing from the electoral rolls for various assembly constituencies. Under the campaign, eligible citizens, particularly women and young people, filled out Form 6 at polling stations to get their names included in the rolls.

Uttar Pradesh chief electoral officer Navdeep Rinwa inspected the polling station at St Agnes Loreto Day School on Station Road in the 175-Lucknow Cantt assembly constituency and the polling station at Sanskrit Vidyapeeth in Vishal Khand, Gomti Nagar, in the 174-Lucknow Central assembly constituency. The district electoral officer, sub-district electoral officer, electoral registration officer and assistant electoral registration officers also inspected various polling stations.

The officials assessed the quality of work carried out by booth-level officers (BLOs). They also checked whether the BLOs were present at the polling stations on time with the electoral rolls, supplementary lists and a sufficient number of Form 6 applications.

Eligible citizens whose names had not yet been included in the electoral rolls for any reason submitted Form 6 applications at the polling stations, the CEO said.