BENGALURU: Booth Level Officers (BLOs) from Bengaluru admitted they are getting Form 7 for deletion from Booth Level Agents (BLAs) but have assured panicky citizens approaching them that no names have been deleted from the rolls.
Also, as a precautionary measure and on the direction of election officials, BLOs are visiting houses of people at least twice, to check Form 7 data for deletion, given as part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
Bhaskar, a BLO from Vijayanagar, said in two cases he found people staying in their respective residences when he visited them for spot mahazar, based on Form 7 he had received. “I had a tough time assuring the voters that their names were not being deleted from the rolls. We are telling BLAs that in case of change of address there is no need for Form 7, the citizen can fill Form-8 for correction. So far there has been no case for hearing pertaining to Form 7 deletion,” he said.
A resident, Raghu, said, “I was shocked when the BLO approached me stating that he had received my details for deletion from the rolls with the reason that I was not staying in my house. I was just out of town for a few days.”
Similar was the case with Ashok (name changed). He, in fact, questioned the BLO seeking details of who gave his details for deletion when he has been staying in the same house for many years. “I have been living in Yeshwanthpur for many years, every one knows me and my family. We had filled up the SIR forms and submitted them to the BLOs. Then how come the BLO is approaching us to inquire if we have shifted?”
Girijamma, a BLO, said, “We are making at least two visits to houses of people for verification. One is done by the jurisdictional BLO and the other by another BLO not from the same area. It is a surprise and random inspection verification. Just like citizens, we are also cautious. We are assuring every one that no names are being deleted.”
Another BLO from Rajajajianagar, not wanting to be named, said BLAs were approaching them with 2-3 applications on a regular basis, stating that voters had shifted and should be removed from the rolls. The BLAs are using old 2002 electoral data.
“We cannot process all the forms. So we are just collecting them and keeping them aside. Names, only in case of death, will be deleted after spot mahazar and signatures from family members. When the BLAs question us, we tell them that currently Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) are busy hearing no-mapping and anomaly cases and this will be dealt with later,” the BLO said.
Election officials said BLOs from Bengaluru Rural, Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Koramanagala and Sarjapur Road had also been citing instances that BLAs were approaching them with Form 7 for deletion. “We have been telling EROs to keep these forms pending till the hearings in hand are completed. After that each form will be scrutinized before taking any decision. No deletion has happened so far. Even if a person’s name is deleted, they can fill up Form 6 for inclusion. In case of change of address or shifting, people have to fill Form 8 for correction and not Form 7,” the election official said.