Karnataka Electoral Office to Crack Down on Bulk Voter Deletion Applications

Karnataka’s Chief Electoral Officer, V Anbu Kumar, announced on Thursday that legal measures will be taken against individuals submitting mass applications to delete voters as part of the state’s special intensive revision of electoral rolls. This announcement follows a protest led by Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and other Congress legislators outside the electoral office, expressing concerns about the integrity of the voter registration process.

The controversy emerged after a recent report by The Hindu revealed that out of 4,000 applications to remove voters from the electoral rolls, a significant portion appeared to target Muslim individuals. This data was derived from Form 10, which compiles the details of Form 7 applications used for voter deletions. In light of these allegations, Kumar emphasized the critical need for thorough investigations into the claims of inauthentic applications.

In a directive circulated to district election officers and electoral registration officials, Kumar acknowledged receiving multiple reports concerning the submission of bulk Form 7 applications. He underscored the necessity of a rigorous verification process to ensure that claims regarding deceased voters or duplicate entries are substantiated. As per the chief minister’s statements, officials have been instructed to only approve deletions for valid reasons such as confirmed deaths or instances of duplicate voter IDs.

Shivakumar’s protest was called off following the affirmative response from the electoral office, which pledged to scrutinize the applications more closely. The chief minister specified that death claims must be accompanied by official death certificates, while duplicate cases require the inclusion of the relevant second voter ID number in their remarks, as guided by Kumar’s instructions.

This situation has raised questions about the transparency and fairness of the electoral process in Karnataka, especially as the assembly elections loom closer. The reported irregularities, including the discovery of pre-filled Form 7 applications with names of voters targeted for deletion, have added to the concerns surrounding the electoral roll revision process. The electoral office has committed to ensuring that the removal of voters is conducted with the utmost integrity and in accordance with legal guidelines.

Source: scroll.in