1 hr ago
Karnataka SIR Dispute Escalates Over Form 7 Voter Applications
Political parties in Karnataka disagree about forms used to ask for names to be removed from voter lists.
Congress workers complained about people submitting many of these forms, and police opened cases.
Some people were arrested, leading BJP members to protest.
BJP and JD(S) leaders say they were told to submit the forms together and want answers about the process.
Karnataka’s chief election officer says no names have been removed because of these forms yet.
Officials are still checking voter records and notices have gone to 45 lakh voters over possible problems.
The election office says it did not ask police to file cases.
It plans to share an eligible voter list with political parties by October 27.
Congress and the BJP-JD(S) alliance have filed complaints over Form 7 applications seeking voter-name deletions in Karnataka.
Police registered FIRs against Form 7 filers in Malleswaram, Balki, Belagavi and Ballari following complaints by Congress workers.
In Ballari and Balki, people were arrested; the arrests prompted protests by local BJP units.
Chief Electoral Officer V. Anbukumar said no voter names had been deleted based on the forms and verification was ongoing.
The CEO said 45 lakh voters had received notices over discrepancies, and the first eligible voter list was expected to be shared with parties by October 27.
- Who
- Karnataka’s Congress government and Congress workers, BJP and JD(S) leaders, police, and Chief Electoral Officer V. Anbukumar.
- What
- Political parties have traded complaints over bulk submissions of Form 7 applications seeking voter-name deletions, while police registered FIRs and made arrests.
- Where
- Karnataka, including Bengaluru, Malleswaram, Balki, Belagavi and Ballari.
- When
- October 5; the first eligible voter list was expected to be shared with parties by October 27.
- Why
- The dispute concerns Form 7 submissions for deleting names from electoral rolls and allegations about interference in the Special Intensive Revision process.
Congress and police complaints
BJP-JD(S) response
Bulk Form 7 submissions
Congress and police complaints
Congress workers complained about people filing Form 7 applications to delete names from electoral lists; police registered FIRs based on those complaints.
BJP-JD(S) response
BJP leaders said party workers had tried to submit the forms earlier, were initially told they would not be accepted, and later were asked by the district commissioner to submit them together.
Responsibility for the cases
Congress and police complaints
The complaints led police to register FIRs, and the CEO said the Election Commission had not lodged a police complaint.
BJP-JD(S) response
BJP and JD(S) leaders protested the arrests and complained to the CEO, alleging government interference in the SIR process.
Key facts
- Voters in Karnataka
- About 4.5 crore
- Voters served notices
- 45 lakh, over discrepancies
- New voter applicants
- More than 9 lakh; applications were being verified
- Locations named in FIR reporting
- Malleswaram, Balki, Belagavi and Ballari
- Ballari Form 7 filings
- Ballari City Corporation opposition leader Srinivas Mothkar was arrested; the report says 7,561 Form 7s were filed.
- Expected voter-list date
- October 27
- Election office position
- No names had been deleted based on Form 7; verification was still underway.
Quotes
A Ballari BJP leader
A BJP leader discussing the party’s Form 7 submissions in Ballari.
“During the early stage of SIR, the party BLAs had started preparing Form 7 and tried to hand it over to the BLOs.”
freepressjournal.in
Sources
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