The Election Commission has ordered the immediate suspension of two electoral registration officers in Uttar Pradesh’s Pilibhit district over alleged irregularities touching 10,470 voter entries. The action, reported on Sunday, November 1, 2026, comes in a letter from the poll panel to the state’s Chief Electoral Officer and adds a sharper criminal charge to a case that has put the district’s voter rolls under a harsh spotlight.
The two officers are Mayank Goswami and Hemant Chaudhary, Electoral Registration Officers for the 127-Pilibhit Assembly constituency. Their chargesheets must be sent to the Commission for vetting, and neither officer can be reinstated without its prior approval.
What the Election Commission ordered
In its letter to Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Navdeep Rinwa, dated October 31, the Commission directed that both officers be placed under suspension with immediate effect. It also ordered that Section 198 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, which deals with a public servant disobeying the law with intent to cause injury, be added to the FIR already registered against the two officers and Anil Kumar, a computer operator at a voter registration centre.
The Commission has sought a report within one week from the District Election Officer, Pilibhit, on the scrutiny of electoral rolls in all four Assembly constituencies of the district, along with the Chief Electoral Officer’s specific comments. It has also asked for an action-taken report on the voter registration centre operator and details of the role of five Assistant Electoral Registration Officers in the Pilibhit constituency within three days.
How the irregularities came to light
The controversy began with complaints, led by the Congress and the Samajwadi Party, alleging large-scale manipulation of the electoral roll in Pilibhit. An inquiry then traced a striking pattern in Form 8 applications, the form used to seek corrections in voter details such as name, address or other entries.
According to the inquiry, a computer assistant allegedly misused login IDs on the ECINET portal and entered 13,779 Form 8 applications between May 31 and August 29, 2026. Of these, 10,470 were approved and 3,309 were rejected. Investigators found that no physical forms or supporting documents were available in the office for these entries. Uttar Pradesh’s Chief Electoral Officer had acknowledged the irregularities in a statement on October 22 and said the two officers would face legal action.
Following those complaints, the Chief Electoral Officer directed all District Election Officers in the state to deactivate the ECINET portal login IDs of computer assistants posted at voter registration centres.
Why this matters beyond Pilibhit
Pilibhit is one constituency, but the issues it raises travel much further. Voter rolls are the foundation of every election. If entries can be added or altered in bulk through a portal, without paper forms to back them, public trust in the list itself takes a hit, regardless of which party benefits or loses in any single seat.
The row has surfaced amid wider scrutiny of voter list revisions in Uttar Pradesh, with opposition parties alleging manipulation and the poll machinery insisting on corrections through proper procedure. The Commission’s response in Pilibhit, suspension plus a criminal provision plus a district-wide recheck, reads as an attempt to show that complaints lead to consequences, not just assurances.
It also matters for officials across the state. The Commission has directed that electoral rolls under every District Election Officer and Electoral Registration Officer in Uttar Pradesh be thoroughly re-examined, with special attention to additions, deletions and modifications made through Forms 6, 7 and 8.
What happens next
- Both officers stay suspended until the Commission clears any reinstatement, with their chargesheets sent to Delhi for vetting.
- The FIR against the officers and the computer operator now carries the added Section 198 charge.
- Within a week, Pilibhit must report on the scrutiny of rolls in all four of the district’s Assembly constituencies.
- Within three days, the Commission expects a report on the registration centre operator and five assistant officers.
- Across Uttar Pradesh, election officers must recheck roll data entered through Forms 6, 7 and 8.
For voters in Pilibhit, the practical question is simpler: is my name correctly on the list, and can I verify it? The district-wide scrutiny ordered by the Commission is meant to answer exactly that.
FAQs
Who has been suspended in the Pilibhit voter list case?
Electoral Registration Officers Mayank Goswami and Hemant Chaudhary of the 127-Pilibhit Assembly constituency.
How many voter entries are under scrutiny?
10,470 entries, out of 13,779 Form 8 applications entered between May 31 and August 29, 2026. Of those, 10,470 were approved and 3,309 were rejected.
What new charge has been added to the FIR?
Section 198 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, relating to a public servant disobeying the law, added to the FIR against the two officers and computer operator Anil Kumar.
What reports has the Election Commission sought?
A report within one week on rolls in all four Pilibhit Assembly constituencies, and within three days a report on the registration centre operator and five assistant officers.
Can the suspended officers return to duty soon?
No. They cannot be reinstated without the Commission’s prior approval, and their chargesheets must first be vetted by the poll panel.
