Former Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi has made a misleading claim about the Election Commission’s use of Form 6, alleging that deleted voters who fill the form are committing a criminal offence punishable with up to one year in prison. The ECI’s own October 1 directive, however, specifically instructs officials to facilitate the re-enrolment of eligible voters whose names were present in the pre-SIR electoral roll but are missing from the current roll, using Form 6.
Quraishi shared an ECI directive dated 1 October 2026, addressed to the Chief Electoral Officers of all States and Union Territories, and alleged that the Commission was effectively asking previously enrolled voters whose names had been deleted to fill a form meant for new voters.
“Form6 can’t be filled by a deleted voter. It’s only for NEW voters. All those who have been forced to fill it have committed criminal offence carrying 1 yr prison. EC officials who forced them are abetters to crime. This press note shows ECI’s abetment!”, Quraishi said while sharing the document.
Form6 can’t be filled by a deleted voter. It’s only for NEW voters. All those who have been forced to fill it have committed criminal offence carrying 1 yr prison. EC officials who forced them are abetters to crime. This press note shows ECI’s abetment! https://t.co/ga7FEjJoAG
— Dr. S.Y. Quraishi (@DrSYQuraishi) October 2, 2026
However, the claim that every deleted voter who submits Form 6 automatically commits a criminal offence punishable with up to one year in prison is misleading.
The ECI’s October 1 directive specifically addresses people whose names were present in the electoral roll before the SIR but are missing from the current roll.
ECI Orders Special Drive For Deleted And Left-Out Voters
The October 1 communication, issued by Under Secretary Sandeep Kumar, directs Chief Electoral Officers, District Election Officers and Electoral Registration Officers to conduct a special enrolment drive following completion of the SIR.
The directive states that during the enumeration phase of the SIR, Booth Level Officers prepared lists of Absent, Shifted, Dead and Duplicate (ASDD) voters, along with the probable reasons for their non-inclusion.
The lists were to be displayed locally, shared with Booth Level Agents and political parties, and uploaded on the respective Chief Electoral Officer’s website.
Following the publication of the draft electoral roll, claims and objections were considered by Electoral Registration Officers before the final electoral roll was published.
The ECI’s October 1 directive specifically acknowledges that the final roll contains both deletions and additions made during the SIR process.
It states that any person who has not yet been enrolled or whose name has been deleted can apply for enrolment at any point of time, and says the purpose of the special drive is to identify and facilitate such electors.
BLOs Asked To Identify Those Missing From Current Roll
Under the directive, Booth Level Officers have been instructed to compare the current electoral roll with the pre-SIR roll and identify people whose names appeared in the earlier roll but are missing from the current one.
The BLOs have then been directed to conduct house-to-house visits to ascertain the present status of these individuals and facilitate their enrolment through Form 6 wherever they are found eligible.
The directive also asks BLOs to indicate the present status of each identified elector and separately record those for whom Form 6 has been filled.
In addition, BLOs have been instructed to facilitate Form 6 applications from left-out, first-time and young electors during their house-to-house visits.
The filled Form 6 applications, along with field verification reports, are to be submitted to the concerned ERO, who is the competent authority to take further action under the Representation of the People Act, 1950 and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.
The ECI has also directed that booth-wise lists be shared with representatives of recognised political parties to provide them an opportunity to facilitate the enrolment of eligible voters who were left out.
Form 6 Wording Does Not Make Re-Enrolment A Crime
While the wording of Form 6 may invite discussion, it does not support Quraishi’s claim that deleted voters who submit it are committing a criminal offence.
The current Form 6 is titled “Application Form for New Voters” and contains a declaration referring to inclusion in the electoral roll “for the first time”. However, the ECI’s October 1 directive specifically instructs Booth Level Officers to identify eligible electors whose names appeared in the pre-SIR roll but are missing from the current roll, visit them and facilitate their enrolment through Form 6.
In other words, the ECI itself has prescribed Form 6 as the mechanism through which eligible voters whose names were deleted during the SIR process can seek re-enrolment.
There may be a legitimate question over why the form continues to carry “first time” language when the ECI is using it for this category of previously enrolled electors. But that is a question about the wording and administrative use of the form, not evidence that a voter commits a criminal offence merely by submitting it.
More importantly, Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 does not make the mere submission of Form 6 a criminal offence. The provision applies to a person who knowingly makes a false written statement or one they do not believe to be true.
Therefore, Quraishi’s blanket claim that deleted voters who fill Form 6 have committed an offence punishable with imprisonment is misleading. The ECI’s own October 1 order expressly tells officials to facilitate the enrolment of such eligible voters through Form 6.
Section 31 Does Not Criminalise Filing The “Wrong Form”
Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 provides for punishment where a person makes a statement or declaration in writing that is false and which the person either knows or believes to be false, or does not believe to be true.
The provision carries a maximum punishment of one year’s imprisonment, or fine, or both.
The law therefore does not state that a person automatically commits a criminal offence merely by submitting Form 6 after their name has been deleted from the electoral roll.
For Section 31 to apply, the relevant requirement is that the person made a false statement or declaration with the requisite knowledge or belief regarding its falsity.
This is misleading.
Yes, the current Form 6 is titled “Application Form for New Voters” and its declaration says the applicant is applying for inclusion “for the first time” and is not already included in another constituency. Voter Portal
But the Election Commission’s own published guidance also says something much broader: if a person’s name is not included in the electoral roll, the person has to submit a claim in Form 6. Its FAQ similarly states that a person seeking enrolment files Form 6 before the ERO. Election Commission of India
That creates an obvious tension in the wording of the present Form 6 when the applicant is a previously enrolled elector whose name has disappeared. It is fair to question why ECI is using a form carrying a “first-time inclusion” declaration for such cases.
But the claim that every deleted voter who fills Form 6 has thereby committed a criminal offence punishable by one year in prison is incorrect.
Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 does not criminalise filling the “wrong form” as such. It applies where a person makes a written statement that is false and which he knows or believes to be false, or does not believe to be true. The maximum punishment is up to one year, or fine, or both.When personal politics takes over sense!!!
— Aadi Achint 🇮🇳 (@AadiAchint) October 3, 2026
Consequently, Quraishi’s assertion that all deleted voters who have been made to fill Form 6 have committed a criminal offence carrying a one-year prison term does not follow from Section 31.
The ECI’s October 1 directive itself makes a distinction between previously enrolled electors whose names are missing, first-time voters and other eligible persons. It specifically instructs BLOs to identify previously enrolled voters missing from the current roll and facilitate their enrolment through Form 6 after verifying their eligibility.
While the first issue raises a legitimate question about the ECI’s choice of form and declaration, the second claim goes beyond what Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act actually provides.
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