Karnataka got 2.28 lakh Form 7 applications amid allegations of bulk submissions

Karnataka received 2,28,917 Form 7 applications between June 16 and October 22 amid allegations of bulk submissions during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, according to official data released by the Election Commission.

Form 7 is used to object to the inclusion of a name in the electoral roll or seek its deletion on specified grounds. Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has alleged that the forms are being misused to target voters from minority, Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, and Backward Class communities.

Shivakumar has accused leaders and workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Janata Dal (Secular) [JD(S)] of filing large numbers of pre-printed Form 7 applications targeting voters in several constituencies. He alleged that the forms contained voters’ names, Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers, and polling booth details, and had been prepared and distributed among party workers. 

The number of Form 7 applications received by the Election Commission rose by 1,70,442 between September 23, when the tally stood at 58,475, and October 22. In a statement issued on Friday, October 23, the office of the Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said all Form 7 applications received up to September 23 had been cleared on priority.

The CEO’s office is scheduled to release the final electoral roll on October 27.

Earlier this month, the ruling Congress staged a protest outside the CEO’s office over the alleged bulk submission of Form 7 applications. Following the protest, the CEO directed Electoral Registration Officers to conduct an inquiry into the matter. More than 10 FIRs have been registered at police stations across the state in connection with the issue.

The CEO’s statement also said hearings had been completed for all 43.82 lakh voters in the draft electoral roll who were issued notices during the verification phase.

Besides Form 7, the Election Commission has received 10.42 lakh Form 6 applications seeking inclusion in the electoral roll and 13.10 lakh Form 8 applications for corrections to existing entries, including change of address.

The SIR exercise has drawn scrutiny from political parties and civil society groups in Karnataka since the enumeration phase concluded in August. More than 1.08 crore electors were left out during this phase, reducing the state’s voter count from 5.54 crore to 4.46 crore in the draft electoral roll.