Case registered against BJP booth-level agent over alleged attempt to delete 30 voters in Musheerabad
The Chikkadpally police in Hyderabad have registered a criminal case against a 37-year-old booth-level agent of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for allegedly attempting to submit 30 pre-printed Form-7 applications seeking deletion of voters from the electoral roll at a polling station in the Musheerabad Assembly constituency.
The case, registered on Tuesday, October 6, names S. Balachander as the accused. The case has been filed under Sections 217 and 318(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950. The investigation is being conducted by the Chikkadpally police station based on a complaint submitted by T. Praveen Kumar, Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) of the 57-Musheerabad Assembly Constituency and Deputy Commissioner of GHMC Circle-41.
What happened at the polling station
According to the complaint, Balachander, identified as a Booth Level Agent (BLA) of the BJP, brought 30 digitally pre-printed Form-7 applications to Polling Station No. 210 at Surya Nagar in Chikkadpally on September 28 at around 11:30 a.m. The applications sought deletion of the names of 30 electors from the electoral roll.
The complaint stated that the forms had been signed by Balachander himself and that he allegedly sought to submit them to the Booth Level Officer (BLO) at the polling station. The BLO and BLO Supervisor, however, refused to receive the bulk submission despite repeated requests and did not issue any acknowledgement for the 30 forms. Balachander left the forms at the polling station premises before the BLO and left the place.
How the matter came to light
The matter came to the notice of election authorities after a field inspection report was submitted by the BLO and BLO Supervisor on September 30. The complaint also refers to news published in The Hindu on October 3 regarding the issue.
According to the complaint, verification found that all 30 electors whose names were mentioned in the Form-7 applications were residing at the respective premises recorded in the electoral records. The applications were therefore not accepted and were liable to be rejected, the ERO stated.
Legal provisions invoked
The case has been registered under the following legal provisions:
- Section 217 of BNS: Pertains to making a false claim in a proceeding before a public servant
- Section 318(2) of BNS: Relates to cheating by personation
- Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950: Deals with offences related to electoral registration
Why this matters for Hyderabad voters
The case highlights the importance of the electoral roll maintenance process and the safeguards in place to prevent unauthorized deletion of voter names. For residents of Musheerabad and surrounding areas, this incident serves as a reminder that Form-7 applications for voter deletion require proper verification and cannot be submitted in bulk by third parties without proper authorization.
The ERO has emphasized that the verification process ensures that no eligible voter’s name is removed without proper cause and that the BLO and BLO Supervisor acted correctly in refusing to accept the bulk submission without proper verification.
Datos clave
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Accused | S. Balachander, BJP booth-level agent, age 37 |
| Location | Polling Station No. 210, Surya Nagar, Chikkadpally |
| Date of incident | September 28, 2026 |
| Number of Form-7 applications | 30 pre-printed forms seeking voter deletion |
Next steps and investigation
The Chikkadpally police will now investigate the circumstances under which the 30 Form-7 applications were prepared and whether there was any attempt to tamper with the electoral roll. The investigation will also examine whether the accused acted alone or was part of a larger effort to manipulate voter lists.
Residents of Musheerabad who have concerns about their voter registration status can contact the ERO office or check their names on the Election Commission of India’s voter portal. Any suspicious attempts to delete voter names should be reported to the local BLO or police immediately.
Source: The Hindu – Hyderabad at https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/case-registered-against-bjp-booth-level-agent-over-alleged-attempt-to-delete-names-of-30-voters-in-musheerabad/article71552777.ece