Shivakumar Demands Criminal Probe Into Karnataka Voter Deletions

Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has called for a comprehensive criminal investigation into the alleged misuse of Form 7 applications to fraudulently delete voters from electoral rolls. He alleges a state-wide conspiracy by Bharatiya Janata Party leaders and workers to disenfranchise minorities, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and poor citizens during the Special Intensive Revision process.

Shivakumar urged Congress party leaders and booth-level agents to report bulk submissions of deletion requests, citing irregularities in Belagavi, Bhalki, Mudigere, Mysuru, and the Aland constituency. He has demanded a constituency-wise account of Form 7 objections from the Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka and ordered the registration of FIRs against those manipulating the process.

The Chief Minister's demands follow a 23-page survey by the Anti SIR Alliance and Citizens’ Vote Protection Committee. The audit claims 1.08 crore voters were categorized as absent, shifted, dead, or duplicate, with Bengaluru experiencing a 43.6% reduction in its draft electoral roll. Shivakumar stated that the use of pre-printed voter details for objections suggests a systematic attempt to subvert the revision process.