Lucknow, Oct 21 — The Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Uttar Pradesh (CEO, UP), has taken a firm stand after errors surfaced in the electoral roll of Assembly Constituency 127-Pilibhit.
Complaints revealed that searching by certain EPIC (Elector Photo Identity Card) numbers online displayed details of completely different voters, a press note released on the X handle of the CEO, UP, said.
Acting swiftly on the complaint, the District Election Officer of Pilibhit conducted an inquiry on Wednesday. The investigation confirmed the problem; for some electors, an online EPIC search showed another person’s particulars instead of the correct voter’s information.
In response, the Chief Electoral Officer’s office has ordered the immediate correction of these discrepancies.
The Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) and the Voter Registration Centre (VRC) operator of Assembly Constituency 127-Pilibhit have been directed to be removed at once from all electoral roll-related duties, said the press note.
Legal proceedings will be initiated against them under Section 32 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. A clear report on the accountability of the Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) of the constituency has also been sought, it said.
The District Election Officer, Pilibhit, has been instructed to carry out a thorough examination of the electoral rolls of every assembly constituency in the district and submit a detailed report within two days.
Extending the review state-wide, all District Election Officers across Uttar Pradesh have been told to take note of the incident, conduct a comprehensive check of the electoral rolls in their respective districts for similar issues, and submit their findings within the same two-day deadline.
The action affirms the election authorities’ zero-tolerance approach toward any irregularities that could undermine the integrity of the electoral rolls.
Officials stressed that accurate voter data is essential for free and fair elections, and such mismatches between EPIC numbers and voter details cannot be allowed to persist, they said.
The development follows the prompt cognisance taken by the Chief Electoral Officer’s office and reflects the determination to fix systemic errors while fixing responsibility on those found negligent.
Further reports from the districts are awaited within the stipulated timeframe.