Eddelu Karnataka Raises Alarm Over SIR, Claims Mass Voter Deletions Threaten Electoral Rights
Civil society platform alleges over one crore voters in Karnataka face deletion, unmapped status or scrutiny; calls for a rights-based campaign to protect every eligible vote
Bengaluru, 15 August 2026: As India marked Independence Day, civil society platform Eddelu Karnataka raised serious concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging that the exercise could disenfranchise large numbers of eligible citizens and calling for a statewide movement to safeguard voting rights.
In a statement issued by Tara Rao, J.M. Veerasangaiah, Mohammed Yusuf Kanni and V.S. Sridhar, the organisation claimed that around six crore names had already been removed from electoral rolls nationally, with another six crore or more potentially at risk. It further claimed that more than one crore people in Karnataka had reached various stages that could lead to deletion. These figures were presented by the organisation and were not independently verified in the statement.
‘ಮತದಾನದ ಹಕ್ಕು ಉಳಿಸಿ, ಪ್ರಜಾಪ್ರಭುತ್ವ ರಕ್ಷಿಸಿ’: SIRನಿಂದ ಒಂದು ಕೋಟಿಗೂ ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಮತದಾರರು ಸಂಕಷ್ಟಕ್ಕೆ ಸಿಲುಕುವ ಆತಂಕ ಎಂದ ಎದ್ದೇಳು ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ
‘Voting Right Was Won Through Freedom Struggle’
Eddelu Karnataka said civil society groups had spent nearly six months preparing for SIR through awareness campaigns, training for Booth Level Agents and assistance to citizens filling enumeration forms.
Thousands of volunteers had worked alongside Booth Level Officers to correct errors, it said. Special enumeration initiatives were also undertaken in tribal areas, including Kodagu and Chamarajanagar, while temporary camps were established at some locations.
“Had civil society not intervened, the number facing deletion could have crossed two crore in Karnataka,” the statement claimed, arguing that the scale of exclusions pointed to what it described as structural problems within the SIR process.
The group questioned how Bengaluru, a rapidly growing metropolis, could witness a sharp decline in registered voters. It alleged that unlike earlier revisions, where officials registered new voters, transferred addresses and removed primarily deceased or duplicate entries, the present exercise had resulted in people being flagged when they shifted residence or were unavailable during BLO visits.
‘ಒಬ್ಬ ಅರ್ಹ ಮತದಾರನ ಹೆಸರೂ ಅಳಿಸಬಾರದು’: SIR ಪ್ರಕ್ರಿಯೆ ವಿರುದ್ಧ ಎದ್ದೇಳು ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದಿಂದ ಮತದಾನದ ಹಕ್ಕು ರಕ್ಷಣೆಗೆ ಕರೆ
Concerns Over Notices and ‘Logical Discrepancy’
The organisation further claimed that around 30 lakh people in Karnataka had been marked as “unmapped” and could receive notices. It also expressed concern over a separate “Logical Discrepancy” category, alleging that as many as one crore people could eventually face notices and documentary scrutiny.
Eddelu Karnataka argued that workers and economically or socially marginalised communities could be disproportionately affected because they often change residences or remain away from home for work.
It condemned any arbitrary disenfranchisement as an assault on constitutional democracy and urged authorities to ensure that no eligible citizen loses the franchise merely because of procedural or documentation difficulties.
Prakash Raj Cited as Example
The statement cited actor Prakash Raj, claiming he had challenged election authorities to transfer his vote through Form 8 rather than delete his existing registration and require a fresh application through Form 6.
“The right to vote is a freedom we have won. We must preserve that right with dignity, not be forced to beg for it,” the organisation said.
‘Not a Single Eligible Vote Should Be Deleted’
Linking electoral rights with the spirit of Independence Day, Eddelu Karnataka called upon civil society organisations and citizens across the state to mobilise peacefully and constitutionally against wrongful deletions.
“We will not allow even a single eligible vote to be deleted in Karnataka. We will protect this right not by pleading, but by fighting democratically for it,” the statement said.
The organisation went further by calling for what it termed “freedom from SIR, EVM and ECI”, reflecting its broader criticism of the electoral process.
Its allegations, particularly the large deletion estimates and claims concerning the intent behind SIR, would require an official response or verification from the Election Commission for a complete assessment.
