Karnataka Government Weighs Special Investigation Team to Probe Bulk Voter Deletion Forms

The Karnataka government is likely to set up a Special Investigation Team to probe multiple police cases registered across the state over the alleged bulk filing of Form 7 applications. These applications seek the deletion of voters from draft electoral rolls published after a recent Special Intensive Revision. Nine police cases have been registered so far by election officials in districts including Ballari, Bengaluru, Bidar, Belagavi, Chikamagaluru, Dakshina Kannada, Mysuru, Vijayapura, and Udupi over fake applications seeking bulk voter removals. Sources said the administration held talks with senior police officials over the past week to check if the cases across districts are linked or separate.

Allegations And Figures

The move follows accusations by Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar that the opposition BJP engineered a conspiracy to manipulate electoral rolls. Shivakumar alleged that BJP workers received pre-printed forms and were asked to file applications in bulk to delete voters. According to Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer V Anbukumar, a total of 91,278 Form 7 applications seeking voter deletions were received by September 24, which marked the end of the claims and objections period. Anbukumar stated that no voter has been deleted based on these applications so far, and election registration officers have been told to verify identity and location before taking any action. Following protests by Congress leaders, the Election Commission directed officials to file complaints where they found fake applications for bulk deletions. Preliminary findings in some cases show the applications were generated through an automated system, hinting at a coordinated effort.

Past Case And Counter Allegations

The government is drawing parallels with a voter-deletion case in the Aland constituency of Kalaburagi district, which is already being investigated by a CID Special Investigation Team. That case was registered in February 2023 after an official complained about attempts to illegally delete 5,994 voters, leading to a chargesheet against former BJP MLA Subhash Guttedar and others. Meanwhile, the BJP and JD(S) accused the Congress government of using the police to intimidate people filing objections. Opposition leaders met Governor Thawarchand Gehlot and the state Chief Electoral Officer to seek protection for those who filed Form 7 applications, arguing in a memorandum that there is no legal bar on filing bulk applications under Election Commission guidelines.

Context

Form 7 applications are standard forms provided under election rules for citizens or officials to object to the inclusion of a name or request a deletion on grounds of being dead, shifted, or repeat entries. Electoral rolls undergo regular revisions to keep voter lists updated, but mass filings often spark political disputes over voter suppression and roll manipulation. Investigations into automated form generation highlight the growing use of digital tools in managing and contesting electoral data in India.