Owaisi flags alleged pre-filled Form 7 applications in Telangana
HYDERABAD: AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi has raised concerns over alleged pre-printed Form 7 applications seeking deletion of voters’ names from electoral rolls in Telangana.
The issue has emerged during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Owaisi flags pre-filled Form 7 applications
Owaisi alleged that some Form 7 applications carried the details of the voter whose name was sought to be deleted. However, the forms allegedly did not contain the details of the person filing the application.
He urged the Election Commission of India (ECI), Telangana chief electoral officer and district electoral officers to examine the issue.
Form 7 allows a person to object to the inclusion of a name in an electoral roll or seek deletion of an existing entry. The applicant has to provide their details, including their name and EPIC number.
The form also records the details of the voter whose name is being challenged or sought for deletion.
Form 7 carries a declaration warning that a person who knowingly makes a false statement can face punishment under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
#WATCH | Hyderabad, Telangana: AIMIM President and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi says, “… BJP and Sangh Parivar people are trying to get names deleted by filing Form 7… Printed Form 7 are being submitted where the name of the person whose name is to be deleted is mentioned,… pic.twitter.com/2LmimMpQsS
— ANI (@ANI) October 4, 2026
Telangana receives 28,753 Form 7 applications
Telangana chief electoral officer C Sudharshan Reddy said on October 1 that the state had received 28,753 Form 7 applications.
Hyderabad accounted for around 5,000 applications. Siddipet and Sangareddy were among the other districts that received significant numbers.
Reddy said officials would scrutinise and verify Form 7 applications received in bulk. This would include applications submitted through political parties.
He said officials would rely on verified field information before deleting any voter from the electoral roll.
The ECI guidelines also state that applicants must substantiate the reason given for seeking an objection or deletion.
Congress alleges pre-printed forms in Hyderabad
The controversy has also surfaced in several parts of Hyderabad.
The Telangana Congress alleged that people submitted pre-printed Form 7 applications without the applicant’s details in Musheerabad, Bahadurpura and Goshamahal.
In one reported incident in Goshamahal, a booth-level assistant associated with the BJP allegedly submitted such forms to a booth-level officer. The officer reportedly did not accept them.
The allegation has not been independently established as wrongdoing by the Election Commission.
In Musheerabad, the Congress alleged that around 30 Form 7 applications sought the deletion of voters from one family. It alleged that a BJP booth-level agent submitted the applications.
Election officials have been examining the complaints.
Officials have also faced scrutiny over applications in Bahadurpura. A report said one pre-printed form contained the voter’s details and address but left the applicant’s details blank.
Form 7 does not automatically delete a voter
Submitting Form 7 does not automatically remove a voter’s name from the electoral roll.
Election officials examine the application and verify the claim before taking a decision. The applicant also bears the responsibility of supporting the reason given for seeking deletion.
The developments in Telangana come amid a wider debate over the use of Form 7 during electoral-roll revisions. The ECI currently provides Form 7 for objections to the inclusion of names and requests for deletion from electoral rolls.
