Six election officials removed from UP after SP flagged errors in voter list

The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Uttar Pradesh on Saturday removed five Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and a computer assistant from election duties following an inquiry into irregularities in the electoral roll in Azamgarh. Proceedings were also initiated against three senior voter registration officials.

The orders come after the Samajwadi Party (SP) held a press conference on October 15 in which it alleged that a voter named ‘Vikas Yadav’ was listed ten times in the voter list for Azamgarh (347) constituency.

After a detailed investigation by the District Election Officer, Azamgarh, the authorities found that the name “Vikas Yadav” appeared 13 times in Hindi in the lists.

According to the director general’s office, one of the records belongs to a voter of the same name and age from Chauri Chaura constituency in Gorakhpur district. For two other duplicate records, the deletion procedure was initiated.

Investigation revealed that the remaining 11 records actually belong to 11 different individuals living in Azamgarh. Officials have now filled Form-8 to correct the names and personal details of 10 of these persons and ensure that only the real Vikas Yadav remains on the list under that name.

In response to the clerical errors, the CEO ordered the immediate removal of the computer assistant in charge and five BLOs from voter registration work. The authorities have also issued a notice to terminate their services.

The State Election Authority further ordered charge-sheeting and departmental action against the then Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) and two Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AERO) for negligence and poor supervision. The three senior officials face potential prosecution under Section 32 of the Representation of the People Act 1950.

The District Election Officer of Azamgarh has been deputed to scrutinize the electoral rolls of all constituencies in the district and submit a comprehensive report within a week.

Published – 25 Oct 2026 01:01 IST