BJP Flags Alleged SIR Irregularities in Jharkhand, Submits Memorandum to Election Department

The Jharkhand unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has submitted a memorandum to the state Election Department alleging irregularities in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and seeking an inquiry into the complaints.

The memorandum was submitted by BJP state vice-president and state SIR convenor Rakesh Prasad after meeting the Additional Chief Electoral Officer. The party has sought an investigation into the issues raised, action against officials or individuals found responsible and appropriate directions to prevent similar incidents from being repeated.

The BJP said an accurate and error-free electoral roll is essential for a healthy democratic system. It noted that the Election Commission of India is conducting the SIR-2026 exercise with the stated objective of ensuring that eligible Indian citizens are not left out of the voter list while preventing ineligible entries.

The memorandum alleged that irregularities have been reported in several parts of Jharkhand, particularly in the Santhal Pargana division. The party also attached photocopies of newspaper reports concerning some of the alleged discrepancies.

BJP Seeks Greater Transparency in Claims and Objections

The party pointed out that voters are required to submit Forms 6, 7 and 8 during the claims and objections period, which is scheduled to continue until September 15, 2026.

It specifically raised the issue of voters whose names appear in the draft electoral roll but who have not provided a 2003 reference for verification and have consequently been placed in the "No Mapping" category.

The BJP has demanded that, after verification and hearings, the list of approved voters in this category should be made available constituency-wise to ensure transparency in the process.

Questions Raised Over Voter List Data in Rajmahal

The memorandum highlighted several examples from Rajmahal Assembly constituency in Sahibganj district.

According to the BJP, at booth number 343, house number 1, the 2019 electoral roll contained four voters, while the voter list published on July 25, 2024, showed 39 voters at the same address.

The party also pointed to alleged discrepancies in the ages of voters listed at the booth. It cited the example of Syed Ali, whose age is recorded as 69, while his son Gafur Sheikh is listed as 67.

Another example cited was that of Azad Ali, whose age was recorded as 34 in the 2019 electoral roll. The BJP said his name does not appear in the 2024 list, while the name of his wife, Aysa, appears with an age of 64.

The memorandum also cited booth number 187 in Rajmahal constituency, where house number 137 reportedly had 12 voters in the 2019 list compared with 26 in the current electoral roll.

Allegations Regarding Voter Entries in Boriya

The BJP also raised concerns regarding the voter list in Boriya Assembly constituency, particularly Lalmatia village in Mandro block.

The party alleged that although there were no Muslim households in the village, dozens of Muslim voters were listed there and reportedly associated with voting at the Teliagarhi booth.

The memorandum further cited cases in Sahibganj district where voter records allegedly show implausible family relationships and age differences. According to the BJP, one person has reportedly been shown as the father of a 15-year-old voter and later as the grandfather of the same voter at the age of 30. The party also claimed that some voter records show only a two- or three-year age difference between fathers and sons.

Complaint Over Form-7 Submission in Godda

The BJP also raised an issue from Godda Assembly constituency. It alleged that on August 25, BLOs refused to accept Form-7 submitted by BLA-2 representatives at booth numbers 9 and 38 in Basantrai block.

According to the memorandum, the BJP's BLA-1 verbally informed the Block Development Officer and the Sub-Divisional Officer of Godda about the matter, but no action had been taken until the memorandum was submitted.

The party further alleged that at booth number 9, details concerning the Form-7 submitted by BLA-2, including the representative's name and political affiliation, were made public by the BLO. The BJP claimed this resulted in local pressure and alleged threats against the BLA-2 representative and described the disclosure as a serious violation of Election Commission instructions.

The BJP has urged the Election Department to examine each complaint on the basis of electoral records and field verification, take corrective action wherever discrepancies are established and ensure that the SIR process remains transparent and impartial.

Baban Gupta and Sunil Sahu were also present when the memorandum was submitted.
 

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