Hundreds of Muslim Voters Marked ‘Dead’ in Ahmedabad Special Intensive Revision

Gandhinagar: Hundreds of Muslim voters in Ahmedabad’s Jamalpur Assembly constituency have allegedly been declared “dead” and marked for deletion from the electoral rolls during Gujarat’s ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, raising concerns over voter disenfranchisement.

The issue has been reported from multiple wards in Jamalpur, where voters who are alive, have previously voted, and had submitted SIR forms found their names targeted for deletion through objections filed under Form 7. These voters were included in the initial draft electoral rolls but later faced objections citing death, relocation, or duplication.

According to information shared by Booth Level Officers, nearly 300 Form 7 objections have been filed in parts of Jamalpur alone. Activists estimate that the total number of such objections across the constituency could run into several thousand. Several objections reportedly contain incorrect voter details, including mismatched serial numbers, while others were filed by individuals from different polling parts, raising questions about procedural safeguards.

Civil society groups and local political representatives have alleged that the pattern of objections disproportionately affects minority-dominated areas and may indicate coordinated misuse of the electoral objection process. Concerns have also been raised about the acceptance of third-party objections without prior physical verification of the affected voters.

The Minority Coordination Committee (MCC) has submitted a representation to the Chief Electoral Officer of Gujarat, seeking immediate intervention. The committee has demanded stricter scrutiny of Form 7 objections, special verification camps, legal action against those filing false claims, and an inquiry into potential political links behind the objections.

Opposition party leaders in Ahmedabad have also demanded criminal action against those responsible for allegedly filing false objections. An application has been submitted at the Shahpur police station seeking investigation.

The SIR process in Gujarat is currently in the claims and objections phase. Election authorities have not yet publicly responded to the allegations.