"Names deleted from both old and new addresses": Congress' Gurdeep Sappal raises concern on SIR exercise in UP

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], January 7 (ANI): Congress leader Gurdeep Singh Sappal raised serious concerns over the functioning of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging that a large number of voters in Uttar Pradesh, estimated at around '2.17 crore', are facing deletion of their names from voter lists after shifting residence. Sappal claimed that his and his family members' names were removed from the voter list solely because they had moved from the Sahibabad Assembly Constituency in Uttar Pradesh to the Noida Assembly Constituency.
In a detailed post on X, Sappal said the issue is not limited to isolated complaints but affects nearly 15 per cent of the state's voters. He told ANI that his and his family's names were deleted even though he had submitted all the official documents. According to him, the BLO noted that the names were deleted due to a change of residence. He also mentioned that the Election Commission had issued a press release stating that " 2 crore voters who shifted residence did not submit their forms and so their names were deleted".
Speaking to ANI, he said, "The names have been deleted despite the submission of all documents, despite our names being in the 2003 list, and despite our names being in the last election's list. We shifted our residence. So, the BLO says that the names have been deleted. Today, the EC issued a press release stating that 2 crore voters who shifted residence did not submit their forms and so their names were deleted. I am saying here, confidently, that our forms were submitted and that we have the receipt. Still, the names were deleted...You are expecting 2 crore people in UP to seek time from the SDM, who will then give them time, and the work will be done afresh. The entire SIR system has been made very complicated. So, we are opposing the SIR...The goal of SIR was to delete the names that could be deleted..."
He said the names were deleted even though he had submitted the forms and had the receipt. He thus claimed the entire SIR system to be complicated and alleged the program's goal to be solely "deletion of names" from the voter list.
According to him, voters who shifted from their earlier address have found their names removed from both locations, that is, the old constituency and the new one, rather than being smoothly transferred.
According to him, voters who shifted from their earlier address have found their names removed from both locations, that is, the old constituency and the new one, rather than being smoothly transferred.
Sappal pointed out that earlier, voters could update their addresses on Form 8, but under the current system, there is no provision to migrate those entries. Instead, affected voters are being asked to re-enrol as new voters through Form 6, which in some cases separates or erases their earlier electoral records, which can span 30 to 35 years.
He argued that these historical records are essential because, under the present SIR framework, the Election Commission has treated voters whose names appeared in the 2003 rolls as verified and genuine citizens. "If such long-standing records are broken, genuine voters risk losing proof of continuity," he wrote.
Sappal questioned why the Election Commission did not simply link voter identity to the EPIC number, which, he said, would have made address shifting seamless and avoided deletion of names. He asked why, instead of transferring records, the Commission had opted for direct deletions.
Calling the matter a public-interest issue, Sappal urged the Election Commission to review the process and ensure that voters who have moved are not deprived of their voting history or temporarily disenfranchised by procedural changes.
He posted, "This is a matter of public interest, so please read: 1. The issue of removing the name of a shifted voter from the voter list is not just mine. It concerns 2.17 crore citizens in Uttar Pradesh. 2. If the name were removed from the old address and added to the new address, there would be no objection. But the problem is that the name has been removed from both places. 3. There is no provision in the SIR to shift the name to a new address. 4. Now, by filling out Form 6, one can rejoin as a new voter, but as soon as that's done, the record from the old voter list will be separated. In my own case, the record of the past 35 years will be erased. 5. Why is the record necessary? In this SIR, the Election Commission has automatically considered those whose names appeared on the 2003 list to be genuine voters and citizens. Therefore, the record is essential. 6. The question to the Election Commission is that this matter is connected to nearly 15% of voters. It could be simplified by linking it to the EPIC number. Previously, any voter could change their address by filling out Form 8. So, what is the justification for directly deleting names in SIR instead of doing that?"
https://x.com/gurdeepsappal/status/2008737853669601741
Earlier on Wednesday, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Uttar Pradesh, Navdeep Rinwa, claimed that there was no error by the BLO (Booth Level Officer) in removing the names of Congress leader Gurdeep Singh Sappal and his family members from the draft SIR voter list. The Uttar Pradesh CEO's response came after Sappal claimed that his and his family members' names were removed from the voter list solely because they had shifted from the Sahibabad Assembly Constituency in Uttar Pradesh to the Noida Assembly Constituency.
Navdeep Rinwa, via the official X handle of "CEO Uttar Pradesh", said the leader was correct in explaining the reason for removing names from the voter list. He further directed him and his family members to complete Form 6 to have their names added to the voter list for the Noida district.
The X post said, "Thank you, Mr Gurdeep. In your post, you also correctly explained why your and your family members' names were removed from the voter list, stating that you have moved from Ghaziabad to Noida. The BLO has correctly removed your name from the voter list for the Ghaziabad district. You and your family members should complete Form 6 to have your names added to the voter list for the Noida district. Just as you can fill out Form 6, other people in a situation similar to yours can also fill out Form 6, and they should do so. @ECISVEEP @gurdeepsappal" (ANI)