Congress Delegation Meets State Election Commission Over Voter List Irregularities
Bengaluru : A Congress delegation led by Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar met the Karnataka State Election Commission on Monday, urging authorities to rectify alleged discrepancies in the electoral roll ahead of upcoming local body elections.
The delegation submitted a formal memorandum to State Election Commissioner G. S. Sangreshi, seeking immediate corrections in the voter list revision process. The move comes in the backdrop of elections to the proposed Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and other local bodies, including zilla and taluk panchayats.
Ministers Ramalinga Reddy and Dinesh Gundu Rao, along with BAMUL President D. K. Suresh, MLAs Rizwan Arshad and A.C. Srinivas, and MLCs Puttanna and Srinivas were part of the delegation.
Addressing reporters after the meeting, Shivakumar, who also holds the Bengaluru Development portfolio, alleged serious lapses in voter list preparation. “In several instances, two voters from the same household have been assigned to different polling booths. Proper mapping of streets, houses and voters has not been done,” he said.
He stressed that Booth Level Officers (BLOs) must work in coordination with representatives of all political parties to ensure transparency and accuracy. “Earlier mistakes must be corrected. The voter list should be prepared strictly within the legal framework,” he added.
Shivakumar also expressed concern over alleged deletion and shifting of votes, particularly affecting minority and OBC communities. “There are instances of double and even triple entries, while some genuine voters have been removed or shifted. A thorough re-verification is necessary,” he said.
He pointed out that the State Election Commission has independent authority to undertake voter list revisions and must ensure a clean and error-free roll before the elections. “We have conveyed that the earlier voter list was not accurate. There should be no discrimination anywhere,” he asserted.
The Commission is expected to examine the representation and take appropriate steps as local body elections approach.
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