Karnataka Leaders Accuse BJP of Mass Voter Deletion Conspiracy

Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and Home Minister Priyank Kharge accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of orchestrating a massive conspiracy to fraudulently delete legitimate voters from Karnataka's electoral rolls. Shivakumar alleged that BJP headquarters pre-printed tens of thousands of computerized forms to target minority, Dalit, and Backward Class communities, claiming more than 100,000 voters were targeted. Kharge added that BJP leaders and MLAs submitted fake Form 7 applications by falsely claiming living citizens were dead.

Legal actions have followed these accusations in several districts. In Vijayapura, police filed three FIRs, including one against MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal for allegedly submitting a fake death certificate to remove a living vegetable trader from the rolls. Other FIRs in the city involve claims that voters were falsely reported as no longer residing at their addresses. In response, BJP-affiliated figures and the Swami Vivekananda Sene accused Congress general secretary Irfan Sheikh of allowing a deceased person to remain on the rolls.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka High Court granted interim protection until October 13 to BJP leader Dr. Ravi Patil and two supporters. They are accused of conspiring to delete 198 Muslim voters in Belagavi through fabricated Form 7 applications. Patil's legal team argues that filing objections during electoral revisions is not a crime and that the FIR fails to identify specific forged documents.