Bengaluru, October 1 (Daily Kiran) : Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has made serious allegations against leaders and activists of the BJP and Janata Dal (Secular) for their involvement in a scheme to remove approximately 5 million eligible voters from the electoral rolls. During a press conference in Bengaluru on Thursday, he claimed that this criminal conspiracy is being executed through a Special Intensive Review (SIR) process.
Shivakumar called on the Election Commission to take action against those using pre-filled Form-7 applications to target minority groups, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, and economically weaker sections. He asserted that over 10.7 million names have already been removed from the voter list, with 4.5 million notices issued to voters. Despite this, he alleged that efforts are underway to remove an additional 5 million names.
Addressing reporters at his official residence, Krishna, Shivakumar accused BJP and JD(S) workers of submitting pre-filled Form-7 applications to booth-level officers (BLOs) in various assembly constituencies, with the aim of disenfranchising voters. “This is a criminal conspiracy aimed at inciting communal hatred and disrupting communal harmony,” he stated.
The Chief Minister detailed that more than 1,600 such applications were submitted in Babaleshwar, while Vijayapura saw 14,000 and Bhalki 3,244. He noted similar attempts in other constituencies, indicating that efforts to remove between 5,000 to 10,000 voters’ names were also underway in some areas. Members of a citizens’ group led by actor Prakash Raj have reportedly visited polling stations to gather information on these activities.
Shivakumar emphasized that BJP officials have submitted hundreds of Form-7 applications under their names, with some admitting to their errors. He questioned the source of the pre-filled voter information and demanded the Election Commission identify all involved and take strict legal action against them.
He urged the state election commission to file an FIR immediately, conduct a thorough investigation, and take legal steps against those responsible. “Our government is committed to protecting the voting rights of every citizen in the state. The police will file cases regarding the conspiracy and investigate,” he assured.
Shivakumar announced that he would lead a delegation of ministers to the state election commission’s office to demand immediate action, warning that they would stage a protest until appropriate measures are taken. He accused the BJP and JD(S) of resorting to such tactics due to their inability to win elections and declared that such activities would not be tolerated in Karnataka.
He reiterated his call to cancel the SIR process, labeling it a significant fraud, and questioned how such activities could occur without the knowledge of the Chief Electoral Officer. Since the SIR process began, the state government has cooperated fully with the Election Commission, having appointed 54,000 BLO representatives.
Shivakumar urged officials to safeguard the voting rights of every eligible voter and to initiate criminal proceedings against anyone pressuring BLOs.
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