Bengaluru, August 18: On Monday, civil society organizations appealed to Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar to intervene in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list. They alleged that this process could lead to the wrongful removal of eligible voters from the list.
Notably, the main phase of the SIR process concluded on Monday, with the last day for submitting enumeration forms being August 17.
A delegation led by actor Prakash Raj, representing ‘Addelu Karnataka’ and other civil society groups, met with Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar at Vidhana Soudha. They discussed alleged shortcomings in the SIR process before submitting a memorandum.
The representatives claimed that Karnataka is witnessing the highest incidents of voter removals in the country. They stated that approximately 1.09 crore voters have been categorized as ASDDO (already shifted, deceased, duplicate, or others), raising concerns that a significant number of names could disappear from the voter list, especially in Bengaluru.
They also claimed that the removal rate at around 3,000 polling booths across the state has exceeded 60 percent.
Demanding measures to ensure the SIR process is conducted fairly and transparently, the delegation urged the Chief Minister to request the Election Commission to extend the SIR process by at least three months and allow a year for its completion.
The organizations also urged officials not to remove names of voters categorized as ‘shifted,’ ‘absent,’ and ‘others’ immediately. Instead, they suggested that booth-level officers (BLOs) should verify these names through door-to-door visits before any removals.
They requested necessary forms and facilities for voters who have relocated to transfer their voter registration and for new eligible voters to register.
The delegation stated, “The state government should take the initiative to ensure that eligible voters remain on the voter list. Government employees should visit homes to provide information, and helpline centers should be established to assist voters.”
Civil society representatives also urged the government to discuss the issue in the assembly if the Election Commission is unwilling to take corrective measures.
They emphasized that the state government should pass a resolution and pressure the Election Commission to address their concerns. They suggested that if necessary, the government should approach the Supreme Court to protect the interests of voters in Karnataka.
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