Akhilesh Yadav flags "massive conspiracy" in SIR, questions use of pre-printed form 7 in UP villages

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged a "massive conspiracy" to selectively delete voter names, claiming that opposition votes were being targeted under the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Uttar Pradesh. In a post on X on Sunday, Yadav urged the courts, the Election Commission of India, and journalists to take cognisance of what he described as a "mega-scam" and a "conspiracy is underway to slice away opposition votes."

Raising serious questions, the SP chief asked, "Under SIR, who is distributing the pre-printed Form 7 in villages (through which someone can conspire to get another's name struck off by raising an objection)?" He claimed that the complainants listed in the forms had "no known identity or whereabouts," and that forged signatures were being used to facilitate the deletions.

According to Yadav, the alleged exercise was disproportionately impacting voters from the PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) communities, particularly minorities. He said names were being removed "on a massive scale," often without the knowledge of the affected individuals, even when their documentation was complete and in order. "Even the person whose name is being objected to has no idea that their name is being deleted despite everything being in order," he wrote.



Appealing to the media, Yadav called on news channels, newspapers, local YouTubers and grassroots journalists to investigate and expose what he termed a "mega-scam" in the interest of democracy. "In the interest of democracy, we local YouTubers and local news workers demand that you blow the lid off this mega-scam and publish or broadcast it at your level. We will bring you before the entire nation and state, and ensure your honest journalism reaches the true viewers and readers," he said.

Earlier on January 23, UP CEO Navdeep Rinwa announced that notices are being sent to voters whose details in the 2026 Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls do not match those in the 2003 records. According to the UP CEO, to achieve the 'No Voter Left Behind' goal, rules have been relaxed to make the verification process more inclusive and accessible.

Voters unable to attend hearings in person before registration officers have been exempted from mandatory physical appearance. A voter may authorise a representative to attend the hearing on their behalf by providing a signed or thumb-printed written authorisation. The note by the CEO read.