Full Breakdown
Karnataka’s Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Rolls Sparks Political Protest and Legal Scrutiny
By Drooid · · How we work
The SIR Process and Recent Developments
The Election Commission of India launched a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Karnataka’s electoral rolls to remove duplicate, deceased, or ineligible entries and add eligible voters. The Supreme Court upheld the Commission’s authority under Article 324 and the Representation of the People Act on May 27, adding safeguards for wrongly deleted voters. The draft roll was published in late August, prompting objections. The ECI set October 22 as the deadline to dispose of all claims and October 27 for publication of the final roll, with a final hearing scheduled for October 12.
Data on Applications and Hearings
- As of October 9, Karnataka had 45,161,393 registered electors.
- 110,654 Form 7 applications were received.
- The ECI generated 4,382,315 notices; 99.80 % were delivered.
- Hearings were completed for 4,088,099 notices (93.47 %), leaving 285,646 cases pending.
- Bengaluru Urban alone recorded 260,000 pending hearings, with Form 7 filed 110,000 times, most often in Shivamogga, Dakshina Kannada and Bidar.
- Since June 16, roughly 2.3 million forms have been processed, led by Form 8 (1.23 million) and Form 6 (950,000).
Official Statements & Responses
The draft roll is provisional and no name is removed without notice, hearing, and two levels of appeal.
Chief Minister D.K. Hanumantharaya framed the issue as protection for Dalits, minorities and backward-class voters.
BJP state president Vijayendra said SIR is intended to “remove irregularities” and denied any conspiratorial motive, emphasizing that valid Form 7 applications will be accepted and invalid ones rejected.
Deputy Commissioner G.M. Gangadharaswamy of Davanagere reported pressure to strike off roughly 3,000 names but clarified that only 112 voters were actually removed, most of whom were Nepalese nationals, a Dubai resident, or deceased persons. He stressed that authorities have no power to delete names suo motu.
Criticism & Opposition
Opposition leaders and civil-society groups allege bulk Form 7 filings are being used to target specific communities. Shivakumar accused the central government of suppressing internet access during protests on October 10 and of “intimidating” voters. In Bijapur district, Deputy Commissioner K. Anand opened an inquiry after residents alleged forged death certificates were used to delete names.
On-the-Ground Reports
In Vijayapura, vegetable vendor Abdul Razak Bagwan discovered his name listed as deceased and feared loss of ration-card benefits. He and seven others displayed identity documents, demanding criminal action. Raziya Sheikh, a long-time resident, expressed similar anxiety about losing government benefits.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- The district administration reported pressure to delete 3,000 names, yet only 112 deletions were confirmed.
- While the Deputy Commissioner said no mass Form 7 submissions occurred in Davanagere, the state recorded over 110,000 Form 7 objections overall, and police investigations have identified multiple FIRs alleging bulk filings.
- BJP leaders claim the SIR process is impartial, whereas opposition officials contend it targets Dalits, minorities and backward-class voters. No independent audit of the Form 7 applications has been published.