On Friday, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) visited the office of Odisha’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) to issue a serious warning regarding the ongoing issue of voter roll integrity. Although the deadline for claims and objections concluded on August 19, the party insists that the dispute concerning voter eligibility is far from resolved.
A delegation, spearheaded by BJD vice-president and former minister Pratap Jena, presented a formal complaint alleging that Booth Level Agents (BLAs) associated with the ruling BJP are still submitting numerous Form-7 applications aimed at removing names they deem ineligible, which the BJD claims are actually valid voters. The party contends that this action is politically driven and has requested the CEO to investigate allegations from various districts and to provide new guidelines ensuring that no qualified voter is removed from the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) list.
Party officials pointed out that media reports of missing names have already caused significant concern among voters. They informed the CEO that they have collected testimonies from several Assembly constituencies, including Balikuda-Ersama, Mahanga, Dhamnagar, Bhadrak, Mahakalapada, Jharsuguda, Patkura, and Digapahandi.
One of the most striking examples they mentioned came from Bhadreswar Gram Panchayat in the Mahanga block. According to their complaint, BJP BLA Fagu Charan Behera had suggested the removal of 121 voters from the SIR lists for the newly established Booth Nos. 221 and 222. Local residents reportedly approached the Mahanga Block Development Officer to voice their concerns, claiming that the targeted individuals were members of a minority community. Following these protests, the BJD stated that Behera contacted the BDO to request an investigation and the reinstatement of the names — a sequence that the BJD interprets as evidence of hasty and biased actions.
The delegation called for a thorough investigation into all such grievances and legal consequences for any officials or agents found to have acted inappropriately. Additionally, they demanded clear instructions to field officers prohibiting the continuation of deletion efforts at the booth level after the deadline.
Joining Jena were several key figures, including MLA Sarada Prasanna Jena, general secretary Bijay Nayak, media coordinator and spokesperson Dr. Lelin Mohanty, Tumbanath Panda, Narayan Jena, Jyotsnamayee Parida, and Manasi Sundaray.
While the CEO’s office has not publicly disclosed its response, election officials generally consider Form-7 objections as part of a legal process that still requires verification before any voter is removed. Nevertheless, the BJD argues that the extent, timing, and focus of the recent recommendations suggest an effort to reduce the electorate after the claims period has ended, and they seek an impartial examination of the situation.
