SIR Raises Concern Over Large-Scale Voter Deletions in Karnataka, Anti-SIR Coalition Seeks Extension

Coalition Questions Election Commission Over 1.10 Crore Names in Deletion List

Bengaluru: The SIR Virodhi Karnataka coalition has raised serious concerns over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, claiming that the exercise could result in large-scale deletion of eligible voters across Karnataka. The coalition said the Election Commission has placed 1,10,59,288 voters, nearly 20% of the state’s electorate, in the deletion category, while another 34 lakh voters reportedly remain unmapped.

The coalition said the impact could be particularly severe in Bengaluru, where it claimed nearly 40% of voters could be affected, as well as in border districts and areas with high migration.

“1.10 ಕೋಟಿ ಮತದಾರರು ಅಪಾಯದಲ್ಲಿ”: ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದಲ್ಲಿ SIR ವಿರುದ್ಧ ಆಕ್ರೋಶ, ತುರ್ತು ಕ್ರಮಕ್ಕೆ ಒಕ್ಕೂಟ ಆಗ್ರಹ

Questions Over ‘Shifted’ and ‘Absent’ Voters

The coalition questioned why voters who have shifted temporarily for work or were absent when Booth Level Officers (BLOs) visited their homes should face deletion. It claimed that around 15% of those marked for deletion fall under the shifted and absent categories and are neither dead nor duplicate voters.

It also questioned the Election Commission’s claim that 100% of enumeration forms had been distributed and 99.56% digitised, saying it could provide examples of living voters who are still waiting for forms.

The coalition further sought clarity on the logical discrepancy category and asked why BLOs and Booth Level Agents had not been adequately briefed about the software-based process. It also demanded details on voters classified under “Others” and asked how many alleged illegal immigrants had actually been identified through SIR.

Demand for Extension and Public Verification

SIR Virodhi Karnataka demanded a comprehensive review of the deletions, participation of civil society groups, and an extension of the enumeration process by at least one month. It said shifted voters should be given Enumeration Forms and Form 8 at their current locations rather than being deleted.

The coalition also called for public verification meetings at booth level after publication of the draft rolls, allowing corrections based on public evidence.

“ಜೀವಂತ ಮತದಾರರನ್ನು ಡಿಲೀಟ್ ಮಾಡಬೇಡಿ”: ಬೃಹತ್ ಮತದಾರರ ಅಳಿಸುವಿಕೆ ಕುರಿತು ಚುನಾವಣಾ ಆಯೋಗಕ್ಕೆ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆ

Warning of Wider Protest

The coalition alleged that the process was being conducted in a hurried and disorganised manner and criticised the Election Commission for not adequately engaging with civil society concerns.

It warned that failure to review the deletions, protect shifted and absent voters, provide adequate time and consider corrective measures could lead to intensified protests.

SIR Virodhi Karnataka, a coalition of farmers’, workers’, Dalit and other social organisations along with several political parties, said it has formed Nagarika Mata Kavalu Samitis at district, taluk and booth levels to protect voting rights. It said the campaign would continue until every eligible voter’s right to vote is safeguarded.