New Delhi: The Election Commission has introduced the e-verification feature to prevent misuse of online forms, including Form 7. This will ensure that only genuine and authentic candidates will be able to submit the forms.
The Election Commission’s new initiative comes in the wake of last week’s allegation by Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, that the names of over 6,000 voters had been deleted in Karnataka’s Aland Assembly constituency.
Calling Rahul’s allegation false and baseless, the Election Commission had then stated that, in the case of Aland, Karnataka, 6,018 applications for deletion of names were submitted online under Form 7. Upon verification, only 24 applications were found to be genuine, while 5,994 were found to be false. Following which, 24 applications were accepted, and 5,994 incorrect applications were rejected.”
The Election Commission categorically stated that no vote can be deleted online by any member of the public. The Commission stated that no name can be deleted without giving the affected person an opportunity to be heard. It added that, in 2023, some unsuccessful attempts were made to delete voters in the Aland Assembly constituency, and an FIR was filed by its authority to investigate the matter.
Taking cognizance of the Aland case, Election Commission sources told ETV Bharat on Wednesday that, to prevent misuse of online form submission, the Election Commission has now ensured that only genuine individuals can file objections.
Election Commission sources explained that previously, anyone could file an objection by entering their name and Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) number. By entering any mobile number, the person would receive an OTP and submit the objection form. The application would be processed automatically. The application was submitted in the name of the person whose name and EPIC number were used without their knowledge.
Election Commission sources further stated that, with the introduction of e-verification, anyone attempting to fill Form 6 or 7 will be able to do so only after e-verification. The OTP will now be generated only in the actual name.
Sources further stated that if someone is applying in someone else’s name, they will not be able to generate the OTP. The OTP will only be sent to the person in question. Now, the person will have to provide their number when submitting the form.
