Karnataka CM seeks probe into bulk voter deletion applications

Karnataka Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar has asked election authorities to investigate what he alleges are bulk applications to remove eligible voters from the state’s electoral rolls. He submitted a memorandum to Karnataka’s Chief Electoral Officer on October 1, seeking an inquiry into Form 7 applications filed during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of the rolls. Shivakumar accused BJP and Janata Dal (Secular) workers of submitting applications to delete voters, particularly from minority and marginalised communities, including Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. He said the alleged filings were part of a wider effort and called for criminal action against those responsible. The claims about party involvement, targeting and the scale of any attempted deletions have not been independently established in the information available. The Chief Minister’s allegations followed reports of police cases over bulk submissions. Karnataka Police had filed three FIRs, two in Belagavi and one in Bhalki, according to one account. The filing of those cases does not establish that the allegations are true, and no investigation findings were reported.