New Delhi/Bengaluru, July 7 (IANS) Senior leaders of the NDA Karnataka delegation met Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in New Delhi on Tuesday and submitted a detailed memorandum highlighting alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Karnataka.

The delegation urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to immediately suspend the ongoing SIR process in the state, direct the re-verification of all enumeration forms already collected, and ensure mandatory door-to-door verification in accordance with the prescribed norms.

The memorandum further stated, “It is requested that Central Observers from other states be appointed for every district to oversee the entire SIR process and ensure that the revision is conducted in a fair, transparent, and impartial manner.”

The delegation also demanded strict legal and disciplinary action against all officials and political functionaries found responsible for violating the prescribed procedures or facilitating the alleged irregularities.

The delegation included Union Ministers Pralhad Joshi, H.D. Kumaraswamy, V. Somanna and Shobha Karandlaje; Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly R. Ashoka; JDS Legislature Party Leader Suresh Babu; Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy; MPs M. Mallesh Babu and Kota Srinivas Poojary; Deputy Leader of the Opposition and BJP MLA Arvind Bellad; and former minister and JD-S leader Bandeppa Kashempur.

The delegation placed before the Commission extensive documentary and video evidence showing enumeration forms allegedly being filled in bulk at community halls, anganwadis, convention centres and other locations instead of through the prescribed door-to-door verification process.

After the submission, Kumaraswamy stated, “We highlighted instances of WhatsApp groups being used to mobilise people for the SIR exercise, mandatory verification visits not being carried out, relatives being accepted for verification without adherence to the prescribed eligibility criteria, and persons with common surnames being treated as members of the same family without proper verification.”

“The unusually rapid completion of nearly 72 per cent of the exercise within just six days was also brought to the Commission’s attention,” he stated.

“We urged the Election Commission to order re-verification of all enumeration forms already collected, ensure mandatory door-to-door verification, appoint Central Observers from outside Karnataka to oversee the SIR process in every district, and initiate strict legal and disciplinary action against officials and political functionaries found responsible for violating the prescribed procedures or facilitating these irregularities,” Kumaraswamy stated.

He underlined, “The sanctity of our electoral rolls and the integrity of the democratic process cannot be compromised. The SIR exercise must be fair, transparent and impartial, in complete adherence to the guidelines of the Election Commission of India.”

The submission addressed to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar stated: “We write to express serious concern over the massive irregularities in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise of the electoral rolls in the State of Karnataka. The officials who are supposed to conduct the SIR are showing zero regard for the approved process, thereby undermining the very spirit of democracy.

“Under the SIR guidelines, both Booth level Officers (BLOs), under the directions of the District Election Officer (DEO/DC), are required to conduct mandatory door-to-door verification and personally verify the identity of the members of each household. However, this is not being followed on the ground, evidence of which has been shared on social media, while mainstream media also carried several such instances, all of which are clearly in the public domain. Multiple similar complaints are also being received from several other parts of the State.

“Enumeration Forms are being filled out while sitting at community halls, mosques, and the residences of BLOs. 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 of the electoral process.

It has also been found that the names of relatives are being accepted for verification without following the eligibility criterion prescribed under the SIR guidelines. Further, BLOs are not informing the Booth Level Agents (BLAs) about the verification process and related activities, thereby reducing transparency. It has also been observed that, in several cases, persons having one common surname are being treated as members of the same family without proper verification, which is likely to result in serious errors in the electoral rolls.

The three mandatory visits that the Election Commission has mandated are not being followed. The Election Commission has stated that these repeated visits are intended to ensure maximum coverage, so that every eligible voter has a responsible opportunity to participate in the revision process.

Karnataka Assembly elections are scheduled for 2028, but the pace at which the SIR exercise is being carried out raises serious concerns and doubts. The exercise started on June 30, and within six days, nearly 72 per cent of the work had already been completed. This itself is evidence enough that the SIR guidelines are not being followed.

The religion of BLOs should not matter while conducting SIR. However, it has been found that BLOs belonging to a particular religion are being deployed in minority areas for conducting the SIR exercise. Such deployment raises serious doubts about the fairness and impartiality of the process and needs immediate examination by the Election Commission of India.”

–IANS

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