BJP flags voter roll manipulation in Punjab, moves EC against arbitrary verification metrics

The Punjab BJP on Wednesday took the state government’s ground staff to the Election Commission, accusing them of messing up the ongoing voter list updates. The opposition party filed an official complaint with both the Election Commission as well as the state’s Chief Electoral Officer, demanding to stop these activities.

Punjab BJP chief Kewal Singh Dhillon, who sent the formal memorandum, alleged that Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and other employees put on election duty are stepping way outside their line of work. Instead of just checking voter names, these field workers are reportedly gathering people’s personal data to push them into various state welfare schemes.

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“The credibility of the electoral process depends on a revision exercise that is impartial, transparent and voter-friendly,” the BJP stated in its memorandum, arguing that using election machinery to promote ruling party schemes is totally illegal and completely ruins the neutrality of the system.

ਭਾਜਪਾ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਸੂਬਾ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ਸ.ਕੇਵਲ ਸਿੰਘ ਢਿੱਲੋਂ ਜੀ ਨੇ ਭਾਰਤ ਦੇ ਚੋਣ ਕਮਿਸ਼ਨ ਅਤੇ ਮੁੱਖ ਚੋਣ ਅਧਿਕਾਰੀ ਨੂੰ ਚਿੱਠੀ ਲਿਖੀ , ਜਿਸ ਵਿੱਚ (SIR) ਦੌਰਾਨ ਕਥਿਤ ਤੌਰ ‘ਤੇ ਕੁਝ ਅਧਿਕਾਰੀਆਂ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਕੀਤੀਆਂ ਜਾ ਰਹੀਆਂ ਅਣਅਧਿਕਾਰਤ ਗਤੀਵਿਧੀਆਂ ਅਤੇ ਵੋਟਰਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਨਿਯਮਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਬਾਹਰ ਦਸਤਾਵੇਜ਼ ਮੰਗੇ ਜਾਣ ਦੇ ਮਾਮਲੇ ਨੂੰ ਗੰਭੀਰਤਾ ਨਾਲ ਉਠਾਇਆ ਗਿਆ… pic.twitter.com/7AfY38yCWg

— BJP PUNJAB (@BJP4Punjab) July 15, 2026

The party also highlighted a major headache for people living on rent. In several neighborhoods, BLOs are forcing tenants to show registered rent agreements or affidavits from their landlords before updating their names. The BJP pointed out that the Election Commission’s rules do not ask for these heavy documents at all, and this sudden self-made rule is only causing unnecessary trouble for common voters.

Dhillon urged the poll panel to start a quick inquiry and penalize any staff found pocketing extra data or doing public relations for the state government. The party wants the Commission to send fresh, clear warnings to all District Election Officers to ensure no staff demands papers outside the official rules.

Neither the Punjab government nor the Election Commission has responded to these allegations so far.