Karnataka has received 110,654 applications seeking objections to proposed entries or deletions of names as the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls proceeds, with the Election Commission setting October 22 as the deadline to dispose of claims and objections and October 27 for publication of the final roll.
BJP state president BY Vijayendra accused the Congress government of using the controversy to intimidate his party’s workers, while defending the revision exercise as an effort to remove irregularities from voter lists. The BJP leader accused Chief Minister DK Shivakumar of using the dispute to target his party and alleged that the Congress was portraying the applications as an attempt to remove votes belonging to AHINDA communities, a term used for minorities, backward classes and Dalits. “We have no need to resort to such conspiracies. We have submitted applications wherever there are doubts about entries in the electoral rolls.
The figures, released by the office of Chief Electoral Officer V Anbukkumar on Friday, come amid a political dispute over allegations that bulk Form 7 applications have been used to target voters and police cases against BJP workers who submitted them. The Chief Electoral Officer’s office said constituency-wise information on claims and objections submitted through Forms 9, 10, 11, 11A and 11B had been published on the Election Commission of India’s website. The communication directed District Election Officers, Additional District Election Officers and Electoral Registration Officers to initiate proceedings under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, against applicants found to have knowingly made false written statements or declarations in Forms 6, 6A, 7 and 8. An inquiry under Rule 20 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, must precede such action, the letter said. He questioned why the BJP should answer for the conduct of an exercise administered by the Election Commission and accused the Congress government of pressuring the police to register cases against party workers over Form 7 applications.
Vijayendra said the BJP was supporting the SIR process rather than defending the Election Commission against allegations surrounding its conduct. Vijayendra argued that Booth Level Officers involved in the revision worked under the state government, and said applications from political parties should be assessed on their merits. “If a Form-7 application is submitted by the BJP or by any other political party, the Returning Officer will accept it if it is valid and reject if it is incorrect,” he said. If the applications are valid, they will be accepted; if they are incorrect, they will be rejected,” Vijayendra said.
