Karnataka voter list revision faces misuse allegations and staffing surge

Concerns have been raised regarding the misuse of Form-7 during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists in Karnataka. Data analyzed by the Citizens' Watch Committee indicates that a small group of 29 individuals submitted objections against 4,136 voters, with a disproportionate number of targets being Muslim voters. In the Babaleshwar constituency, one individual submitted 493 objections against voters across 30 booths in two days, of which 90.1% targeted Muslim voters. Similar patterns were noted in the Bhalki constituency.

In response to allegations of intentional voter removal and subsequent police complaints, the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) has accelerated the SIR process. To manage the workload, 1,117 additional Assistant Electoral Registration Officers have been appointed, bringing the total number of officers to 1,193.

In the GBA area, which covers over 5.6 million voters, more than 2.4 million notices have been issued. Officials stated that a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is in place to ensure eligible voters are not excluded. For cases involving notices such as ‘not mapped’ or ‘logical discrepancy,’ officers may conduct door-to-door verifications to collect necessary documents and upload them online, reducing the need for voters to appear in person.