Over 4,000 applications filed in Karnataka to delete Muslim voters from rolls
Bengaluru: More than 4,000 Form 7 applications seeking deletion of names from electoral rolls have been filed in Karnataka during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR), largely targeting Muslim voters in both Congress and BJP-held constituencies.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Form 7, used to object to a person’s inclusion on grounds of absence or permanent shift, is being misused for bulk deletion of Muslim voters.
In Babaleshwar Assembly constituency in Vijayapura, represented by Congress Minister M.B. Patil, 1,373 applications were received on September 22 alone, of which 1,363 were filed by just ten electors, most targeting Muslim voters outside their own polling stations. One elector, Huchappa Ganiger, filed 493 applications between September 22-23, while another, Govindaraj Mundur, filed 413 applications on September 23 across 33 stations.
A similar pattern was reported in Bhalki in Bidar, held by Congress Minister Eshwar Khandre, where at least 30 people sought deletion of over 1,700 names on September 23, mostly Muslims.
One individual, Santosh, filed 120 applications in a single day after filing 54 the previous day. The trend also appeared in BJP-held seats. In Basavakalyan, one elector filed 32 of 37 applications against Muslim voters at a single station, while in Belthangady, 21 applications were filed by a single person on similar grounds.
In several cases in Bhalki, details of those proposed for deletion were pre-printed while objectors’ particulars were handwritten, raising questions about preparation, with one set of forms naming an objector whose identity did not match the person contacted.
Officials in Bidar and Vijayapura said every objection will be examined and bulk filers have been warned of penalties for false claims. The episode has intensified concerns that SIR is being used to disenfranchise Muslim voters in the state.
