Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Saturday questioned Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's claim that the names of 1.27 crore Hindu voters had been deleted from the state's electoral roll, news agency Press Trust of India reported. Sibal asked Adityanath to disclose the names and constituencies concerned and explain how he arrived at the figure.Sibal also raised concerns about alleged irregularities in electoral rolls, the possible impact of the Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram)-AIMIM alliance in Uttar Pradesh, and reported defections by Opposition MPs.Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Sibal said Adityanath should make the details public instead of merely citing a number. "I want to ask Yogi ji, how do you know this figure?
If you know which names have been removed, put them before the people. Which names have been deleted from which constituencies?" he said.He cautioned against adding names through Form 8 if they had not been deleted from the electoral roll. "It should not happen that names which have not been removed are added once again through Form 8.
If one crore names are added, they (BJP) will win the election," he said. Sibal contrasted Adityanath's claim with Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya's assertion that the revision exercise had been conducted properly. "Neither Yogi ji knows, nor Maurya ji knows, nor do the people know what is happening.
Only the Centre knows," he said.He also spoke about the possible electoral impact of the recently announced alliance between the Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen in Uttar Pradesh. He said the alliance could draw votes from sections of the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and minority communities, affecting the vote share of the Samajwadi Party and the Congress.
Sibal said the Azad Samaj Party, led by Nagina MP Chandra Shekhar Aazad, and Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM would receive some votes from these communities even if they did not win seats."The margins in assembly elections are narrow. You are against the BJP, you keep speaking against the BJP.
If the votes which are not going to the BJP go to you, it will make a difference," he said."Some people are alleging that you (Aazad) are acting at the behest of the BJP. I am not saying that.
But I can see that it will impact the Samajwadi Party and Congress. Ultimately, we all want the BJP to lose," Sibal added.On alleged irregularities in electoral rolls, Sibal cited cases from Maharashtra, particularly Pune, where complaints about the wrongful deletion of voters and the shifting of names between constituencies had led to an inquiry, according to PTI.Explaining the electoral registration process, he said Form 6 is used to seek inclusion in the electoral roll, Form 7 to seek the deletion of a name, and Form 8 to change an address or correct details.
Forms 6 and 8 must be filed by the voter concerned, while Form 7 allows another person to seek the deletion of a voter's name under the prescribed procedure.Citing a report in The Indian Express, Sibal referred to a complaint by NCP leader Ajit Gavhane that 58 voters in Pune had been wrongfully deleted through Form 7. He said an inquiry later identified 5,603 such cases across several constituencies.Sibal said the Pune district election officer had flagged cases of voters being shifted between constituencies through Form 8.
He also referred to findings by election officials in Pimpri, Thane and Khadakwasla that applications for address changes had been approved without field verification by booth-level officers."The CEO office ordered an inquiry. Officials admitted that Form 8 applications were accepted without any field verification.
Someone else was filing these forms, and claiming that the voter had shifted," he said.Sibal alleged that procedures involving all three forms were being manipulated and questioned the Election Commission's assurance that deleted names would be restored. "Form 6, Form 7 and Form 8 — there has been fraud in all three forms. The Election Commission is now saying that the names that were deleted will be restored.
But why were they deleted in the first place?" he said."At the national level, the Election Commission has committed acts that should not be forgiven. It is a betrayal of democracy," Sibal added.Asked about speculation over a second part of Parliament's Monsoon Session, Sibal said it was unlikely to see much business, remarking that the first part had been "dry" and the second would be the same.He also alleged that the defections of MPs from the Trinamool Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) were intended to help the BJP secure a two-thirds majority in both Houses of Parliament.Sibal's remarks centred on his demand for details supporting Adityanath's claim, his concerns about alleged electoral roll irregularities and the impact of political developments on the Opposition's prospects.- Ends(With PTI inputs)