Full Breakdown
Karnataka Form-7 Controversy Escalates Amid FIRs, Protests and Election-Commission Action
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
Bulk Form-7 applications—used to request deletion of names from electoral rolls—have sparked a political showdown in Karnataka. Allegations that BJP workers submitted thousands of such forms to remove voters, particularly from minority, Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and Other Backward Class communities, led to multiple FIRs, a sit-in protest by Chief Minister D K Shivakumar outside the Chief Electoral Officer’s (CEO) office, and a directive from the CEO to initiate legal action against false filings.
Background & Context
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Karnataka’s electoral rolls, underway since June 2026, permits voters or parties to file Form 7 to request deletion of a name deemed shifted, absent, deceased or duplicate. The Election Commission of India (EC) oversees the process, while state officials enforce verification. The controversy intensified after Congress-affiliated Booth Level Agents (BLAs) accused BJP BLAs of mass deletions, prompting a broader debate over voter-rights protection and alleged partisan misuse of the form.
Official Statements & Responses
- Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said pre-printed Form-7s bearing voter details were being used to delete “50-60 lakh” eligible voters, especially from minority and backward-class groups, and demanded an FIR and a time-bound probe. He noted the EC had instructed that deletions occur only after thorough verification.
- Chief Electoral Officer V Anbukkumar ordered all Electoral Registration Officers to initiate legal action under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, against anyone knowingly submitting false statements in Forms 6-8, following the EC’s directive to scrutinise each application individually.
- B S Yediyurappa warned that police action against BJP workers would trigger a statewide agitation.
- B Y Vijayendra claimed the Congress was pressuring police to register FIRs against BJP workers and defended the right to file Form-7 objections.
Criticism & Opposition
- Congress BLAs (including Goutham S.) alleged that the majority of the 7,561 Ballari names belonged to a minority community and that the BJP was attempting “vote chori.”
- BJP leaders countered that filing Form 7 is a legitimate electoral-process tool and that the Congress was using the issue to intimidate party workers.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Scale of alleged deletion: Shivakumar cites a conspiracy targeting “50-60 lakh” voters, while CEO data records only 84,900 Form-7 applications statewide.
- Minority targeting: Ballari FIR alleges 98.08 % of the 7,561 names are from minority communities; other districts report bulk filings without explicit community breakdowns.
- Verification status: Election authorities in Ballari said Mothkur’s claims of voters being absent or shifted were not supported by documents, yet FIRs were still filed.
What’s Next
- The CEO’s circular mandates district officers to complete inquiries under Rule 20 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, before any legal action.
- Hearings on Form-7 objections will conclude on Oct 12, with the final disposal deadline set for Oct 22.
- Both parties have signalled further legal and political moves: the BJP has submitted a memorandum to Director-General M A Saleem, while the Congress continues to press the EC for a criminal investigation.