Row erupts in Bengaluru over printing of 90 lakh voter cards for local polls

Voter Card Row

Opposition Leader R. Ashok has accused the State Election Commission of printing 90 lakh voter identity cards in Bengaluru at a cost of twenty crore rupees after the Election Commission of India announced the Special Intensive Revision. Mr. Ashok claimed this move violates norms to help irregularities in the upcoming Greater Bengaluru Authority polls and demanded a CBI probe into the matter. He pointed out that the card count exceeds the total voter population of around 59 lakh in Bengaluru after the revision, leaving 31 lakh extra cards that he termed bogus and meant for vote theft.

SEC Defense

State Election Commission Secretary Amaresh H. rejected all allegations during a press conference. He stated that the tender was floated before the revision was announced under Rule 26 of the Greater Bengaluru Governance Rules of 2025. The commission acted within its legal mandate, he added, noting that the revision does not force the SEC to stop its local body electoral work since different frameworks govern local polls and national commission elections. Mr. Amaresh also explained that the cards were printed to stop voter impersonation in crowded city areas.

Context

Elections in India are managed by different constitutional bodies at the national and state levels, with state election panels handling local urban and rural polls. Disputes over electoral rolls and voter identification cards often emerge during high-stakes local body election preparations. Observers and political parties frequently spar over administrative timelines and voter list revisions ahead of urban polls.