Ahmedabad: Allegations of large scale voter disenfranchisement have emerged from Ahmedabad’s Jamalpur Assembly constituency during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Residents and local leaders allege hundreds of Muslim voters were wrongly marked as deceased and faced deletion from voter lists despite being alive and having completed required verification.
Affected voters report their names appeared in the initial draft rolls after submission of SIR forms. Objections later surfaced through Form 7, a provision meant for deletion due to death, relocation, or duplication. Locals allege these objections falsely declared Muslim voters dead or displaced. They claim political workers filed many objections without direct connection to the voters concerned.
One reported case involves Arab Farid Miyan from ward number 19, whose name faced deletion despite errors in voter card details cited within the objection. Another case involves municipal councillor Rafiq Sheikh Qureshi from ward number 21, where an objection cited address change despite the objector belonging to a different polling part. Residents question how unrelated individuals gained access to file such objections.
Community members say nearly 300 Form 7 objections surfaced in parts of Jamalpur alone. Activists estimate numbers across the constituency could reach 20,000. Booth level officials reportedly informed residents of the volume of objections received.
Mujahid Nafees of the Minority Coordination Committee described the pattern as coordinated voter suppression. He stated voters followed all procedures and still faced deletion attempts. The committee submitted a representation to the Chief Electoral Officer of Gujarat. It sought strict verification of Form 7 objections, special scrutiny camps, action against false objectors, and an inquiry into possible political links.
Congress leaders and local residents demanded police action. A group submitted an application at Shahpur police station seeking accountability. Election authorities have not issued a public response. Civil society groups warn unchecked deletions risk harming electoral fairness in minority dominated areas.
