New Delhi: A major controversy over the electoral rolls has erupted in the Salabatpura area of Surat. Hundreds of residents have filed a formal complaint at the local police station, alleging that the local Bharatiya Janata Party corporator, Vikram Popat Patil, is trying to eliminate their names from the list.Locals said that Form 7, used for the removal of a voter’s name, is being misused, with applications submitted to erase the names of numerous living voters by falsely declaring them ‘deceased’. All the complainants are Muslims. The application forms display the name and mobile number of BJP corporator Vikram Popat Patil. The Wire Hindi reached out to Patil via phone for his take on the matter, but he disconnected the call after saying, “There is nothing of the sort.”Subsequently, he stopped responding to phone calls. A message was sent to him, but no response was received until the time of publication of this report in Hindi.The signature on the Form 7 applications corresponds with the signature Patil provided on his election affidavit, which he filled out during the Surat Municipal Corporation elections in 2021.Vikram Popat Patil’s election affidavit and form 7 signatures.To find out what action the police have taken or are taking on the complaints, The Wire Hindi reached out to Inspector K.D. Jadeja of Salabatpur Police Station, but the policeman did not respond.Sixty-nine-year-old Abdul Razzaq Wazir Shah, who lives in the Anwarnagar locality, is one of the complainants. Shah told The Wire Hindi, “The BJP is targeting us because we are Muslims. Our votes are being deliberately removed.” How was the fraud uncovered?This controversy began following the publication of the draft voter list on December 19, 2025, as part of the special intensive revision process. Although more than 7.3 million names were eliminated from the voter list during the exercise, the complainants’ names remained on the draft list, which comprised roughly 43.4 million voters.After the draft list was released, a period was given until January 18, 2026, for filing claims and objections. The complainants allege that the BJP corporator made the Form 7 applications during this period.Abdul Razzaq Wazir Shah, quoted earlier, said, “During the SIR, we provided proof of our voter status. Our names were included in the draft list. However, later, the BJP corporator from our area, Vikram Popat Patil, filled out Form 7, declaring us dead. We learned about this from the BLO (Block Level Officer). He showed us the Form 7 applications.” The BLO, Salman, refused to comment, citing regulations.Shah said that Form 7 applications were also filled out for his son and wife, declaring them dead. All three forms bear Vikram Popat Patil’s name and number.Vikram Popat Patil’s name and number of the Form 7 applications.When the news spread in the Muslim-majority area of Salabatpura, more voters started investigating the status of their names. The Wire Hindi received the names and EPIC numbers of approximately 118 people who had been declared dead using Form 7.One media report puts this number at 228. On January 22, 2026, a large number of voters against whose names a Form 7 application had been filed reached the Salabatpur police station. The complainants alleged that all the forms had been filled out by BJP’s Patil.Vikram Popat Patil (left) with Navsari (Gujarat) MP and Union Minister of Jal Shakti, C.R. Patil (right). Photo: Instagram/vikrampopat.patil.The complainants have demanded that an FIR be registered in the case, legal action be taken against the concerned BJP corporator, and an independent inquiry be conducted into the voter list.Local residents claimed that they are not only alive but have been living at the same address for years and have been regular voters, yet the process of removing them from the list by declaring them ‘dead’ was initiated.Local citizens allege that the entire matter is related to targeting voters based on their religious identity and political affiliation, which has further heightened tensions ahead of the upcoming local body elections.What is Form 7?Form 7 is an application addressed to the Electoral Registration Officer, used to object to the inclusion of another person’s name in the current electoral roll or to request the removal of one’s own name. It is governed by Rules 13(2) and 26 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.Only a person who is a registered voter in the same constituency and polling station can fill out Form 7. The applicant must provide their name, EPIC number, and supporting evidence, including reasons for the objection or request. Making a false declaration is punishable by imprisonment for up to one year or a fine under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act.The misuse of Form 7 is a punishable offence, yet not only is the BJP facing allegations of misuse, but in Assam, chief minister and BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma has even publicly stated: “All the complaints that have been filed have been done at my behest. I have told BJP workers to continuously file complaints against the Miya [a term used for local Muslim people which is considered pejorative by some] community. There is nothing to hide. I have held meetings, video conferences, and urged people to fill out Form 7 wherever possible, so that they have to run around a bit and face some trouble…”Gujarat BJP spokesperson Anil Patel did not respond to a request for comment.Congress’s allegationsThe Congress, the main opposition party in Gujarat, has termed this entire matter “electoral manipulation” and alleged that attempts are being made to influence the electoral outcome by manipulating the voter list.Speaking to The Wire Hindi, Aslam Cyclewala, the secretary of the Gujarat Congress Committee, said, “First of all, even though no evidence was provided with Form 7, such applications are being accepted. We demand these applications to be rejected. Only those applications accompanied by supporting evidence should be considered and forwarded to the BLOs for verification.”Accusing the BJP, Cyclewala said, “Muslims are being specifically targeted. Attempts are being made to snatch away their citizenship and constitutional rights. We will fight till the end to save justice and democracy.”Gujarat SIRFollowing the conclusion of the SIR in Bihar, the second phase of this process encompassed nine states and three Union Territories, including Gujarat. The SIR commenced in all these 12 states and Union Territories on November 4, 2025.In Gujarat, the draft electoral roll was published on December 19, 2025. This list recorded approximately 4.34 crore voters, while the number before the revision was 5.08 crore. This means that more than 73.73 lakh names were removed from the electoral rolls during this process. According to the Election Commission, the names that were removed include deceased voters, individuals who have relocated, and duplicate entries.These figures indicate that the most names were likely eliminated in metropolitan areas like Surat, Ahmedabad, and Vadodara. District-level analysis suggests that the chances of deletion are comparatively greater in urban districts. The districts showing the most reported percentage decline in the electoral rolls are Surat (25.7%), Ahmedabad (23.2%), Vadodara (18.7%), Bharuch (16.4%), and Valsad (16.3%).The Election Commission asserts that this entire procedure was carried out to guarantee the precision and dependability of the voter database.Following the release of the draft list, citizens were afforded the chance to submit their claims and objections until January 18, 2026.As per the official timeline, all claims and objections will be resolved by February 10, 2026, after which the final electoral rolls will be made public.Translated from the Hindi original, which first appeared on The Wire Hindi, by Naushin Rehman.