Political leaders allege mass voter removal in Karnataka

Political leaders in Karnataka have raised serious allegations regarding the systematic removal of voters from electoral rolls, accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Election Commission of India of irregularities.

KPCC President BK Hariprasad claimed that since the BJP came to power in 2015, the Election Commission has engaged in malpractice. He alleged that approximately 1.50 crore voters have been removed from lists in Karnataka and 65 lakh votes have been shifted. Hariprasad further asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah are providing secret instructions to the Commission, noting that disagreements among commissioners have reportedly been ignored.

Actor Prakash Raj also criticized the implementation of the Special Inquiry Report (SIR) process, suggesting it is being used as a tool to disenfranchise voters. During a meeting in Chikkamagaluru, Raj claimed that seven elections held since the implementation of SIR have not been fair. He specifically noted that in Karnataka, the process is being handled poorly, with 1.8 crore voters being removed from rolls and 43 lakh voters being unmapped due to a lack of training for officials and public awareness.