Election Commission Caps Form 7 Voter-Deletion Applications at 10 Per Person Amid Bulk-Filing Row

The Election Commission of India has put a hard ceiling on how many voter-deletion objections a single person can file, fixing the limit at 10 applications per individual for the entire claims-and-objections period during special and summary revisions of the electoral rolls. What the new rule says According to a letter the Commission sent to Chief Electoral Officers on Friday, the cap of 10 applies to Form 7 applications — the form used to object to a voter's inclusion, which is the mechanism for seeking deletions — and it covers both online and offline submissions. During continuous updation of voter lists, a separate limit applies: five applications per month per individual. The Election Commission also laid down a process check before any objection can lead to action. An Electoral Registration Officer must first issue a notice to the person who filed the objection, hear that person individually, and record statements separately for each Form 7 before deciding whether the objection has merit. Disposals must then follow Rules 19 and 20 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, which include a hearing for the person whose name is sought to be removed. Why the cap was introduced The move comes after complaints of bulk filing of Form 7 objections on what the Commission called unsubstantiated grounds in Karnataka and Odisha during the Special Intensive Revision of voter lists. Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar had accused BJP-linked individuals of trying to get eligible voters deleted and demanded a criminal investigation. FIRs have been filed over allegedly false or forged applications in some constituencies, according to reports. The state's Chief Electoral Officer has said no voter was actually deleted on the basis of the objections received. The Commission warned that action will be initiated under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 against applicants found to have knowingly made false statements. Until now, there was no defined numerical cap for physical bulk filings by individual electors — online submissions had a per-session restraint of six at a time — and the new limits remove that ambiguity. For comparison, booth level agents of recognised political parties can file up to 50 forms a day before the draft publication of rolls and 10 a day after. Sources: NDTV: Election Commission Caps Voter Deletion Forms At 10 Per Individual Amid Row Deccan Herald: EC Limits Form 7 Submissions Seeking Voter Deletion to 10 Per Person During SIR