Congress Alleges BJP Plot to Remove Eligible Voters from Gujarat Electoral Roll During SIR

Ahmedabad: The Congress party has raised serious concerns over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list in Gujarat, alleging that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is attempting to systematically deprive lakhs of eligible voters of their voting rights through the alleged misuse of Form-7.

After the SIR process, the draft electoral roll was published, following which it was reported that around 74 lakh names were removed compared to the 2002 voter list. The Election Commission had invited claims and objections through Form-7 submissions until January 18.

Congress Claims Sudden Spike in Form-7 Objections

Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee President Amit Chavda claimed that till January 15, only a limited number of Form-7 applications had been received by the Election Commission. However, he alleged that a sudden surge in Form-7 submissions was observed after that date.

According to Chavda, the Election Commission informed the Congress on January 22 that a total of 12,59,229 objections had been filed through Form-7. He further stated that the Congress had already warned the Election Commission about this alleged conspiracy on January 17 and demanded access to CCTV footage of those who submitted objections on January 18.

Allegations of Fake Applications and Misuse of Identities

Chavda alleged that many objections were filed under fake names, and several individuals have reportedly submitted affidavits, claiming objections were raised against their voter registration without their knowledge or consent.

Congress leaders say this points to a deliberate effort to manipulate the voter list by targeting genuine voters and filing fraudulent objections.

‘Vote Theft’ Campaign Intensifies

Congress has intensified its campaign, terming the issue as a form of “vote theft.” The party has been conducting district and city-level press conferences in a manner similar to Rahul Gandhi’s public campaign style.

During a press conference in Vadodara, city Congress president Rutvij Joshi demanded strict action against those allegedly involved in submitting forged documents to delete voters’ names.

Joshi claimed that large numbers of fake Form-7 applications were filed in different parts of Vadodara, including:

• Vadodara City: 4,569
• Sayajiganj: 8,195
• Akota: 13,188
• Raopura: 19,045

Form-7 is used to object to a voter’s name being wrongly included in the electoral roll or to request the removal of a name from the list.

Congress Moves High Court

Meanwhile, two Congress leaders from Surat have challenged the voter list revision process in the Gujarat High Court. In their petition, they alleged that names of legitimate voters are being removed unfairly and unlawfully. The petition was filed on February 10.

Final Voter List Expected on February 17

The final electoral roll for Gujarat is expected to be published on February 17, 2026. With the deadline for claims and objections now closed, reports indicate that applications were received for:

• Addition of about 6.88 lakh new voters
• Deletion of about 9.88 lakh names

The revised voter list will be crucial, as upcoming municipal elections in major cities of Gujarat are expected to be conducted based on this updated roll.

Congress has demanded transparency in the process and urged the Election Commission to investigate the alleged misuse of Form-7 to ensure that no eligible citizen is denied the right to vote.