Karnataka SIR forms filled at mosques, community halls: BJP, JD(S) complain

2 min readBengaluruJul 6, 2026 07:58 PM IST

Under SIR guidelines, BLOs are required to conduct door-to-door visits to verify voters’ identity. (PTI Photo)

The Opposition BJP and JD(S) on Monday alleged massive irregularities in the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list in Karnataka. They said SIR forms were being filled in at community halls, mosques, and booth-level officers’ homes, raising concerns about the exercise’s “neutrality and secular character”.

A joint delegation of the two NDA parties, including Union ministers H D Kumaraswamy and Pralhad Joshi, complained to Chief Electoral Officer V Anbukumar that the irregularities could result in an unsustainable and unreliable electoral roll.

“WhatsApp groups have also been created for the same purpose, and people are being encouraged to visit these community halls and mosques for the SIR process. Such a practice is a breach of the established SIR guidelines and raises serious concerns regarding the neutrality and secular character of the electoral process,” their letter said.

Under SIR guidelines, BLOs are required to conduct door-to-door visits to verify voters’ identity. “However, this is not being followed on the ground, evidence of which has been shared on social media and carried by the mainstream media,” it said.

‘Desperate to protect illegal voters’

Later, speaking to reporters, Kumaraswamy alleged that the Congress government was desperate to protect “illegal voters”. He said they urged the commission to suspend all SIR activities and appoint an official from another state to monitor the exercise.

Joshi alleged that the government was undermining the SIR’s objectives to add illegal Bangladeshi immigrants to the electoral roll. “The chief electoral officer assured us that he would respond to our petition. In the coming days, we will meet the CEC and submit a complaint,” he said.

Chief Minister D K Shivakumar accused the Opposition of conspiring to snatch away the voting rights of the poor and minorities. “No other state has given the kind of cooperation (to the ECI) the way we have,” he said, adding that the government was creating awareness so that people retain their right to vote.

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“This shows that they themselves do not trust the Election Commission,” he said.

Shivakumar said the government has raised awareness about the SIR in the state.