SP alleges thousands of duplicate names in UP voter rolls, seeks their removal

The Samajwadi Party has demanded the immediate deletion of thousands of duplicate entries from Uttar Pradesh electoral rolls, citing widespread irregularities discovered during a recent review. Acting on instructions from party leader Akhilesh Yadav, state president Shyam Lal Pal filed a formal memorandum with the Chief Electoral Officer in Lucknow on October 21, 2026. The submission warns that uncorrected discrepancies could hinder legitimate citizens from casting ballots, thereby compromising the integrity of upcoming elections. The party’s scrutiny focused primarily on the Allahabad-Jhansi Graduates’ Constituency, where duplicates were reportedly found in most polling booths. Specific examples include Sudhir Kumar Patel, who appears twice at polling booth 247 under serial numbers 192 and 193. His records list Sarjudash as a relative, an address in Masihaganj, Jhansi, and a birth date of April 1, 1985. At polling booth 251, Rekha Punit is listed twice at serials 149 and 150, with Vijay Anand named as a relative and a birth date of February 2, 1975. Other flagged cases involve Anoop Singh Patel at booth 260, Priya Gupta at booth 267, and Kuldeep Kumar at booth 272, each appearing under consecutive serial numbers with specific relative names and dates of birth documented in the filings. Irregularities were also cited in the Bakshi Ka Talab Assembly constituency in Lucknow district. At polling booth 483, Phoolmati, wife of the late Suraj, allegedly appears four times under serial numbers 899, 937, 938, and 939, despite having distinct Electors Photo Identity Card numbers. She is recorded as a 45-year-old woman residing at plot number 20, khasra number 318. Polling booth 484 contains four additional sets of duplicates, including Mridul Mehta, Ashish Khare, Shraddha Srivastava, and Ashish, son of Ram Bharose, all listed under multiple serial numbers. In Jhansi district, the memorandum highlights issues in the Garautha, Babina, and Mauranipur Assembly constituencies. At Garautha polling booth 65, Usha, wife of Deepu Pal, is listed against seven separate serial numbers ranging from 726 to 738, again with varying identity card numbers. The party noted similar patterns at polling booth 67, where Rahul, son of Kundan, appears consecutively under five serial numbers. The Samajwadi Party maintains that these errors require urgent correction to prevent confusion among voters. While the electoral authorities have not yet issued a public response to the specific allegations regarding these individuals, the party insists that the scale of duplication threatens the fairness of the electoral process. The memorandum serves as a formal request for intervention to clean up the voter registers before voting takes place.