BJP, JD-S plotting to delete 50 lakh more voters from Karnataka rolls: CM Shivakumar
Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has said that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal-S leaders and workers are involved in a criminal conspiracy to delete around 50 lakh eligible voters from the electoral rolls through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.
D.K. Shivakumar addressing a press conference demanded that the Election Commission register cases against those attempting to exclude eligible voters belonging to minorities, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Backward Classes and Economically Weaker Sections from the electoral rolls using pre-filled Form 7 applications.
He said that 1.07 crore voter names had already been excluded during the SIR process in Karnataka and that notices had been issued to 45 lakh voters. Despite this, he added, an attempt was now underway to delete another 50 lakh voters from the rolls.
Shivakumar said that BJP and Janata Dal (S) workers had submitted Form 7 applications containing pre-filled voter details to Booth Level Officers (BLOs) in several Assembly constituencies with the intention of getting voters’ names deleted.
“This is a criminal conspiracy and a systematic attempt to create communal hatred and disturb communal harmony,” he remarked.
He further said that more than 1,600 such applications had been submitted in Babaleshwar, while 14,000 applications were submitted in Vijayapura and 3,244 in Bhalki. He said similar attempts had been detected in Bhalki, Narasimharajapura, Belagavi and several other constituencies.
According to the Chief Minister, attempts had also been made in some constituencies to delete 5,000 to 10,000 voters. Members of a civil society group led by actor Prakash Raj had visited polling stations and collected information, he said.
He urged the State Election Commission to immediately register FIRs, conduct a comprehensive investigation and take legal action against those responsible.
