Shivakumar Seeks Constituency-Wise Form 7 Details, Raises Questions Over SIR Data Verification

Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has sought constituency-wise details of objections filed through Form 7 during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, amid allegations by a civil-society coalition that thousands of voters were wrongly marked as absent, shifted or dead. Shivakumar said every genuine voter’s right to vote must be protected and asked the Chief Electoral Officer to provide details of objections seeking deletion of names, including bulk applications and those that did not contain prescribed reasons or mandatory particulars. The demand comes as concerns over the handling of voter deletions have intensified in several parts of Karnataka.

Shivakumar has specifically sought information on the number of Form 7 objections filed in each Assembly constituency, along with details of bulk applications and objections that may not have complied with the required procedure. Form 7 is used to seek deletion of a name from the electoral roll, including in cases involving death, permanent shifting of residence, duplicate registration or other grounds prescribed under election rules. The Chief Minister has raised concerns that applications containing pre-printed voter details or insufficient information could indicate attempts to improperly remove eligible voters from the rolls. He has also expressed concern that bulk objections could disproportionately affect minority communities, Dalits, tribals and other backward communities.

The demand follows a report submitted to Shivakumar by civil-society groups examining the SIR process in the state. The coalition, which includes the Anti-SIR Alliance and Citizens’ Vote Protection Committee, has alleged irregularities in the identification and deletion of voters and called for greater scrutiny of the revision exercise. The groups have claimed that voters were categorised as absent, shifted or deceased despite, according to their audit, questions over the accuracy of some entries. These claims have not been established as findings of the Election Commission, and the state-level election authorities are continuing to process claims and objections before publication of the final electoral roll.

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Separately, data released by the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Karnataka, has revealed a discrepancy in the number of Form 7 applications recorded during the SIR process. The draft electoral roll data showed that 67,307 Form 7 applications seeking deletion had been received between June 16 and August 23. However, data subsequently shared by the CEO’s office showed 61,130 Form 7 applications received and processed for deletion, leaving a difference of about 6,000 applications that officials said needed verification against the Election Commission’s server. CEO V Anbukkumar said the discrepancy would be examined.

The controversy comes as Karnataka’s SIR moves through the claims-and-objections stage. According to the CEO’s office, more than 19 lakh forms had been received between June 6 and September 24, including Form 6 applications for inclusion and Form 8 applications for corrections. The data showed that the highest numbers of deletions were recorded in Bidar, Shivamogga, Tumakuru and Bengaluru Urban constituencies. Election officials are required to examine objections and claims before the final electoral roll is published. Karnataka’s district election offices have also made SIR-related claims, objections, draft rolls and other voter information available through their official portals.

The issue has become a political point of contention, with the Congress government saying it has no objection to the SIR exercise itself but opposing what Shivakumar has described as its alleged use for political purposes. At the same time, concerns over Form 7 applications have surfaced in individual constituencies, including reports of large numbers of deletion requests containing details of voters who said they had not sought removal from the rolls. Election authorities will now have to verify such objections and determine whether the applications meet the statutory requirements. Shivakumar’s request for constituency-wise data is intended to provide a clearer picture of the scale and nature of the objections as Karnataka moves towards completion of the electoral-roll revision process.

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