NEW DELHI: Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Saturday demanded that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath disclose the names and constituencies of the 1.27 crore Hindu voters he claimed had been deleted from the state's electoral rolls, questioning the basis of the figure.
Addressing a press conference here, Sibal asked Adityanath to make public the details of the alleged deletions instead of merely citing the number. He also cautioned against the possibility of names being re-entered through Form 8 when they had not actually been deleted, warning that such additions could influence electoral outcomes.
"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.
Sibal also questioned the Election Commission's handling of electoral roll revisions, alleging irregularities in the use of Forms 6, 7 and 8 and demanding accountability for wrongful deletions and transfers of voters.
Citing alleged irregularities in Maharashtra, particularly Pune, he referred to complaints of wrongful deletion of 58 voters through Form 7 by NCP leader Ajit Gavhane. He said a subsequent inquiry had identified 5,603 such cases across several constituencies.
He also alleged that applications for shifting voters through Form 8 had been approved without field verification by booth-level officers in areas including Pimpri, Thane and Khadakwasla.
Explaining the provisions, Sibal said Form 6 is used for inclusion of names in electoral rolls, Form 7 for seeking deletion and Form 8 for shifting residence or correcting particulars. He alleged that these procedures were being manipulated.
"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 asked.
Contrasting Adityanath's claim with Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya's assertion that the revision exercise had been conducted properly, Sibal said there was little clarity about the process.
He also commented on the recently announced alliance between the Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram), led by Nagina MP Chandra Shekhar Aazad, and Asaduddin Owaisi's All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM).
Sibal said the alliance could draw votes from Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and minority communities, potentially affecting the electoral prospects of the Samajwadi Party and Congress.
While denying allegations that Aazad was acting at the BJP's behest, he said even a small shift in votes could make a difference in closely contested Assembly constituencies.
On speculation about a second part of Parliament's Monsoon Session, Sibal said it was unlikely to witness much business, describing the first part as "dry".
He also alleged that the defections of MPs from the Trinamool Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) were aimed at helping the BJP secure a two-thirds majority in both Houses of Parliament.
(With inputs fom PTI)