Congress Flags Over 16,000 Alleged Voter Roll Irregularities in UP’s Pilibhit Sadar Ahead of SIR Draft Roll

The Congress has raised concerns over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Uttar Pradesh, claiming that more than 16,000 voter entries have been affected in the Pilibhit Sadar Assembly constituency.

According to a report published by The Indian Express on October 21, 2026, the party identified several categories of suspected discrepancies, including 13,150 voter names allegedly changed and 804 voters marked as missing. The Congress said the total number of potentially irregular entries exceeded 16,000 in the constituency.

The party has also indicated that it is examining similar discrepancies in other constituencies across Uttar Pradesh and may explore legal options over the matter.

The allegations have emerged as election authorities work to prepare an updated electoral roll through the ongoing SIR exercise. The revision process is intended to verify voter information and identify errors, including duplicate registrations and other discrepancies.

On Monday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Navdeep Rinwa directed officials to prioritise the identification and resolution of duplicate voter entries to ensure that the draft electoral roll scheduled for publication on November 12 is accurate.

According to the report, the CEO instructed officials to identify such cases through Booth Level Officers and ensure that duplicate-entry cases are addressed in accordance with the applicable rules, including the use of Form 7 where required.

The development has renewed political debate over electoral roll accuracy, voter verification and the need to protect eligible voters from wrongful exclusion. While the Congress has questioned the discrepancies it identified, the allegations require verification by the relevant election authorities.

The upcoming publication of the draft electoral roll will be an important stage in the process, allowing discrepancies to be examined through the prescribed procedures.

The controversy highlights the importance of transparent voter-list revision, accurate record-keeping and effective grievance redressal to maintain public confidence in the electoral process.

Source: The Indian Express, October 21, 2026.