Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has raised fresh concerns over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, particularly regarding the use of Form 7 applications to seek deletion of voter names.
In a video message, Shivakumar urged citizens to share information about Form 7 applications with his office. He said details received from the public would help identify cases that require closer examination during the voter list revision process.
Shivakumar alleged that some applications were being submitted with the intention of removing names belonging to minority and Dalit communities. He attributed the alleged activity to instructions from BJP leaders. These claims are allegations by the Chief Minister and have not been established as a finding by the Election Commission.
The issue has emerged during a politically sensitive stage of the SIR exercise in Karnataka. Recent reports have also highlighted discrepancies in the number of Form 7 applications recorded in different sets of election data. The New Indian Express reported a difference of around 6,000 applications between figures released at different points by election authorities.
Form 7 is used in the electoral roll process for raising objections seeking deletion of names under specified circumstances. The Election Commission has provided SIR related voter services and facilities through its official voter service platforms.
Shivakumar said citizens should remain alert if they come across information suggesting that an eligible voter is being targeted for deletion. He asked people to provide details about where Form 7 applications had been filed and said such information could be examined by the authorities.
The Chief Minister also said he intended to meet the Election Commission regarding the concerns. He maintained that protecting eligible voters during the revision process was an important responsibility and called for greater scrutiny of disputed applications.
He referred to several constituencies, including Bhalki and constituencies represented by Nayana Motamma and Tanveer Sait, while alleging that similar efforts were taking place in different parts of the state. These constituency specific claims were also presented by him as allegations requiring examination.
Shivakumar has previously raised broader objections to the SIR process. On September 24, he called for a fresh revision of the electoral rolls and questioned the manner in which the exercise was being conducted.
The ongoing SIR process has already seen millions of notices issued to voters. Reports have also pointed to concerns over verification and discrepancies in electoral data, adding to the debate around the accuracy of the revised rolls.
The Chief Minister has asked party workers and voter representatives to provide accurate information about suspected irregularities. He also called for action against anyone found to have submitted false information with the intention of improperly removing a citizen from the electoral roll.
The Election Commission and election officials will ultimately determine whether individual Form 7 applications meet the required conditions for deletion. The claims and objections process is therefore expected to remain an important part of the ongoing SIR exercise in Karnataka.
For voters, the immediate issue is ensuring that their names and details are correctly reflected in the electoral roll. The Election Commission provides online services through which citizens can check voter information and access SIR related facilities.
The dispute over Form 7 has added another layer to the political debate surrounding Karnataka SIR. As the revision process moves forward, scrutiny of deletion applications and verification of voter records are likely to remain closely watched.
