New Delhi, Oct. 10 -- The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday directed chief electoral officers (CEOs) across all states and Union Territories to restrict the number of Form 7 applications an individual can submit, in an attempt to curb misuse of the form, which permits voters to challenge proposed additions to electoral rolls or seek the removal of existing entries.

According to reports, the EC's decision stems from repeated instances in which individual electors have filed Form 7 objections in bulk on 'unsubstantiated grounds'. According to the poll panel, this practice has caused inconvenience to genuine voters whose names were challenged while creating unnecessary administrative burdens for field-level election staff.

Form ...