BJP booth agent booked in Hyderabad for 30 false Form-7 voter deletion bids
Synopsis
Hyderabad’s first electoral fraud case under Telangana’s new CEO directive targets a BJP booth agent who allegedly dumped 30 pre-printed Form-7 deletion requests at a polling station — every named voter verified as a genuine resident. With 28,753 Form-7 applications statewide and AIMIM alleging a conspiracy to delete Muslim voters, the scale of the controversy could reshape Hyderabad’s electoral landscape ahead of the November 9 roll finalisation.
Key Takeaways
Balachander , a BJP booth-level agent in Musheerabad constituency , was booked at Chikkadpally Police Station for submitting 30 pre-printed Form-7 voter deletion applications.
All 30 named electors were verified by election authorities as genuinely residing at their registered addresses.
The case is the first filed in Telangana after Chief Electoral Officer C.
Sudharsan Reddy ordered action on 5 October 2026 against false Form-7 filers.
Pre-printed Form-7 applications have surfaced in Bahadurpura , Goshamahal , and Musheerabad constituencies; all named voters were reportedly Muslim .
AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi alleged a ‘deep conspiracy’ to delete Muslim voters; TPCC filed a complaint seeking FIRs.
Telangana has received 28,753 Form-7 applications statewide; final electoral rolls due on 9 November 2026 .
Election authorities in Telangana have filed the state's first case under new electoral fraud directives, booking a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) booth-level agent (BLA) in Hyderabad for allegedly submitting 30 digitally pre-printed Form-7 applications seeking the deletion of voters from the electoral roll during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR). The arrest marks a significant escalation in scrutiny over bulk Form-7 misuse across the city.
The Case Against the BJP Agent
S. Balachander, a booth-level agent of the BJP in the Musheerabad Assembly constituency, was booked after a complaint by T. Praveen Kumar, Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) of the constituency. According to the ERO's complaint, Balachander brought 30 digitally pre-printed Form-7 applications to Polling Station No. 210 on 28 September, seeking deletion of 30 electors — including a Congress BLA and his family members — from the electoral roll.
When the Booth Level Officer (BLO) refused to accept the bulk submission and declined to issue acknowledgement receipts, Balachander reportedly left the forms at the polling station premises and departed. A case has been registered against him at Chikkadpally Police Station under Sections 217 and 318(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
Post-verification, election authorities confirmed that all 30 electors named in the applications were found to be genuinely residing at the addresses recorded in the electoral rolls.
First Case After CEO's October 5 Order
This is the first case filed in Telangana following an order issued by Chief Electoral Officer C. Sudharsan Reddy on 5 October, directing action against individuals who knowingly make false declarations in Forms 6, 6A, 7 and 8 under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950. The CEO had directed District Election Officers (DEOs) to conduct an inquiry under Rule 20 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, before proceeding with action.
Election authorities across Telangana have received a total of 28,753 Form-7 applications, with approximately 5,000 from Hyderabad alone. Pre-printed Form-7 applications have also surfaced in the Bahadurpura and Goshamahal constituencies in Hyderabad.
Allegations of Targeting Muslim Voters
A pattern of concern has emerged around the identity of voters named in these applications. In the cases flagged so far, all named voters were reportedly Muslim, triggering allegations of a deliberate effort to disenfranchise the community. The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) on Tuesday lodged a formal complaint with CEO Sudharsan Reddy, raising concerns about the Goshamahal Assembly constituency.
In his letter, AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi stated that at Polling Station No. 28, one Thudumu Janardhan submitted 122 Form-7 applications where the names of voters sought for deletion were pre-printed, while the applicant had written his own name and contact number as the filer. Owaisi alleged “there is a deep conspiracy to delete Muslim voters through fraudulent and bulk submission of Form 7 applications.”
The Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) also filed a complaint with the Commissioner of Police, Hyderabad, seeking FIRs over the alleged misuse. Following the TPCC’s complaint, the CEO directed the Commissioner of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, the District Election Officer Hyderabad, and all collectors and DEOs across the state to “take appropriate action” against individuals found knowingly filing false claims.
Timeline and What Comes Next
The Claims and Objections phase of the SIR process is set to conclude on 7 October 2026, with a disposal deadline of 5 November 2026. Final electoral rolls are scheduled for publication on 9 November 2026. The investigation into the broader pattern of pre-printed Form-7 submissions across Hyderabad constituencies is ongoing, and further cases are expected as the CEO’s directive is enforced statewide.
Point of View
Pre-printed deletion requests to be filed with minimal upfront verification. The fact that all 30 named voters were found to be genuine residents raises a pointed question: how many of the 28,753 Form-7 applications statewide have been similarly checked? The targeting pattern — all named voters in flagged cases reportedly Muslim — invites uncomfortable scrutiny about whether the SIR process is being weaponised for demographic voter suppression, whether or not that can be proven in individual cases. Election authorities deserve credit for acting swiftly after the CEO’s October 5 directive, but the final test will be whether enforcement extends beyond one booth agent to the networks that pre-printed and distributed the forms.
NationPress
7 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was S. Balachander, the BJP booth-level agent, booked in Hyderabad?
S. Balachander was booked for allegedly submitting 30 digitally pre-printed Form-7 applications at Polling Station No. 210 in Musheerabad constituency on 28 September, seeking the deletion of 30 voters — including a Congress BLA and family members — from the electoral roll. Post-verification, election authorities confirmed all 30 named voters were genuine residents at their registered addresses.
What is Form-7 and why does it matter in Telangana?
Form-7 is the official form used to request deletion of a voter’s name from the electoral roll, typically on grounds such as death or change of address. Misuse of the form — especially through bulk or pre-printed submissions — can lead to the wrongful disenfranchisement of eligible voters, which is why election authorities have intensified scrutiny during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
What action has Telangana’s Chief Electoral Officer taken on Form-7 misuse?
Chief Electoral Officer C. Sudharsan Reddy on 5 October 2026 ordered DEOs to initiate action under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, against anyone knowingly filing false declarations in electoral forms. He also directed the Commissioner of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation and all district collectors to take appropriate action against fraudulent filers.
What are AIMIM’s allegations about Form-7 misuse in Hyderabad?
AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi alleged that in Goshamahal constituency, one individual — Thudumu Janardhan — submitted 122 pre-printed Form-7 applications targeting Muslim voters at a single polling station. Owaisi has called this a ‘deep conspiracy’ to delete Muslim voters from the rolls through fraudulent bulk submissions.
When will the final electoral rolls for Telangana be published?
The Claims and Objections phase of the SIR process ends on 7 October 2026, with a disposal deadline of 5 November 2026. Final electoral rolls are scheduled for publication on 9 November 2026.
