Full Breakdown
Karnataka’s Form 7 Controversy Amid the Special Intensive Revision
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Surge in Form 7 Applications and Transparency Gaps
Between June 16 2026 and October 8 2026 Karnataka’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) reported 1,10,654 Form 7 applications seeking deletion of names from electoral rolls. The number rose by 19,376 between October 4 and October 8, pushing the cumulative total past the one-lakh mark. Only 81,822 of the roughly 29,000 applications filed in this period appear on the Election Commission’s portal, leaving over one-fourth inaccessible. As of October 5 the CEO affirmed that no voter has been removed through these applications.
Background & Context: SIR Process and Legal Framework
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is a state-wide exercise to “cleanse” rolls. The claims-and-objections period runs until October 22, after which the final roll is slated for publication on October 27. Form 7 allows an elector to object to a proposed inclusion or request deletion, requiring a true-to-the-best-of-knowledge declaration. False statements may be prosecuted under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 after an inquiry under Rule 20 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. Bulk-filing limits are prescribed (- 50 forms per Booth Level Agent, - 10 forms per voter).
Official Statements & Responses
- Chief Electoral Officer V. Anbu Kumar (press note Oct 9) confirmed receipt of 1,10,654 Form 7 applications.
- The CEO (Oct 5) said no voter had been deleted and each application will be examined before any removal.
- He later clarified that the claims-and-objections period should be counted only from August 24 to September 23, though discrepancies persisted.
- Justice Anant Ramanath Hegde (interim order Oct 10) stayed the investigation of FIRs against two BJP Booth Level Agents in Malleswaram.
- Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar directed officers not to approve Form 7 objections lacking supporting material such as death certificates or duplicate EPIC numbers.
Criticism & Opposition
- Padmaraj R. Poojary, president of the Dakshina Kannada District Congress Committee, alleged BJP affiliation of the accused in the Mangaluru cases.
- Congress leader Anoop Iyengar filed FIRs claiming BJP agents submitted false Form 7 applications to disenfranchise minority voters.
- Congress legislators have protested bulk-filing, suggesting it targets AHINDA communities.
On-the-Ground Reports
- Mangaluru FIRs (Oct 5-6): named Kishan, Rithesh, Yuvaraj, Shashikala as accused for 68-voter deletions in Moodbidri.
- Kodagu FIR: listed Lokesh U.H., Rajani, Nagaraj A.C., Savitha Malali, B.N. Basavaraj for 19 family-member deletions and a separate 64-voter Muslim deletion request.
- Malleswaram FIRs: G.S. Vasanthalakshmi (778 voters) and Deepak Singh R (136 voters) faced charges of forging signatures and submitting false Form 7 objections.
- Police investigations invoke sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 relating to cheating, fraud, and false statements.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- The CEO’s figures fluctuated: 67,307 (June 16–Aug 23), 34,631 (June 16–Sep 9), 41,792 (June 16–Sep 17), 61,130 (Sept 24), and 1,10,654 (Oct 8).
- Portal data often lagged behind CEO tallies; for June 16–Aug 23 only 6,951 of the reported 67,307 applications were visible, with district-level mismatches (e.g., Bengaluru Rural reported 3,061 applications but only 49 were posted).
- The CEO’s claim about the claims-and-objections period does not resolve gaps within that interval.
What’s Next
- Final hearing for pending notices: October 12.
- All Form 7 applications to be processed by October 22.
- Final electoral roll publication: October 27.
- Court proceedings concerning the stayed FIRs against the BJP Booth Level Agents remain ongoing.