The BJP has intensified pressure on the ruling government, accusing the Congress of subverting the neutrality of the state’s electoral machinery.
The massive Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Karnataka entered its fourth day on Friday, marked by staggering initial progress alongside mounting logistical friction and sharp political warfare.
As part of this large-scale democratic exercise undertaken by the Election Commission of India (ECI), electoral officials announced that over 1.12 crore enumeration forms (precisely 11,265,893 forms) have already been distributed to electors across the state, covering roughly 20.32% of Karnataka’s total voter base of 5.54 crore.
However, the exercise has begun hitting roadblocks due to logistical challenges and growing political controversy.
Despite the rapid distribution, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and supervisors are facing severe field challenges. Many residents have shown reluctance or outright refusal to fill out the pre-printed forms, frequently arguing with ground staff or demanding that officials themselves complete the paperwork.
“I don’t know how to read or write. I don’t know what is in that form. How do you expect me to fill it in? I have to take help from the official who is helping me fill in the form. I have to trust them,” said Nagaraju, an elderly citizen from Bengaluru.
Furthermore, serious allegations have emerged that officials are ignoring mandatory house-to-house visit rules. In several areas, rather than knocking on doors, BLOs have reportedly established centralised setups at community halls, convention centres, wedding halls and apartment clubhouses, such as in Tipu Nagar (Ward No. 23) in Ramanagara, forcing crowds to gather and fill out forms in bulk, a practice critics say deviates from ECI guidelines.
“We are residents of the Golden Grand Apartment in Yeshwanthpur. My sister and I are both senior citizens. At our apartment, the BLO has come and is sitting at the community centre, expecting all the residents to meet her and get the form. I took up this issue with the association president, who in turn communicated to her that she needs to visit each and every house individually to distribute and help fill in our enumeration forms. We are hopeful that in a day or two she will visit our house and do the needful,” said Mary Harriette, a resident of the apartment.
“I have my EPIC voter ID, which has an older address in RT Nagar, and I have doubts about what will happen to that. Will it get transferred to my new address here, or will this enumeration form facilitate a new EPIC voter ID after the previous voter ID gets nullified?” Harriette asked.
The operational cracks in the SIR exercise are quickly turning into a political battlefield. H. D. Kumaraswamy has alleged a “massive scam” in Ramanagara, producing video clips of crowded community centres. Kumaraswamy claimed this is a “systematic conspiracy” designed to fabricate documents and illegally register undocumented Bangladeshi migrants onto the voter rolls under the direct influence of the Chief Minister’s Office. He also demanded the immediate suspension of the Ramanagara Deputy Commissioner.
Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka expressed strong anger, alleging that, with the backing of the Congress government, BLOs are distributing SIR application forms on the streets.
“The Election Commission is conducting the Special Intensive Revision from the perspective of national security. This is also the intention of the Central Government. However, for Bangla people, the Congress government has become a paradise,” he alleged.
Ashoka further claimed that nearly 20 lakh Bangladeshi migrants were living in Karnataka and alleged that their names were being added to electoral rolls in Bengaluru, Kodagu and Chikkamagaluru.
“In Mahadevapura and Byatarayanapura, groups are sitting in front of mosques and carrying out the SIR process.
I will write to the Central and State Election Commissions about this illegality. I demand that criminal cases be registered and the officials who allowed this be arrested,” he said.
He also alleged that records of the 2002 voter list had been made unavailable in parts of Yelahanka and accused the Congress of trying to retain “Bangla residents” through welfare schemes.
Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar, who kicked off the drive from his Sadashivanagar residence, dismissed the allegations and described the exercise as a crucial step for citizen security.
Shivakumar issued a warning to citizens, stating that failure to submit enumeration forms on time could lead to the loss of voting rights and eventual exclusion from the state’s five guarantee welfare schemes.
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party has intensified pressure on the ruling government, accusing the Congress of subverting the neutrality of the state’s electoral machinery. BJP leaders have alleged that Congress workers are manipulating the ground process, using government machinery to protect invalid data and bringing caste-based politics into the verification of state guarantee schemes. Concurrently, Congress workers in areas such as Jayanagar hit back, accusing BJP workers of distributing party pamphlets alongside official SIR materials in an attempt to influence the electoral process.
With the door-to-door phase scheduled to continue until July 29, Karnataka remains gripped by immense logistical strain and escalating political mistrust surrounding one of the state’s most extensive electoral verification exercises.
