D.K. Shivakumar addresses a media briefing on alleged Form 7 misuse at Krishna in Bengaluru. Photograph supplied.
Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has asked election authorities to trace the source of voter names and EPIC numbers allegedly pre-printed on bulk Form 7 applications, making access to electoral data a central issue in his demand for a criminal investigation into attempted voter deletions.
At a media briefing at his Krishna home office, Shivakumar accused BJP and JD(S) leaders and workers of coordinating applications to remove eligible voters, particularly minorities, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes. He demanded cases against those responsible and protection for every eligible voter.
His separate four-page letter to Karnataka’s Chief Electoral Officer seeks an impartial, time-bound inquiry into who filed unusually large numbers of objections, their relationship with the voters concerned, and whether any political organisation facilitated the filings. The allegations have not been established by an investigation in the material released with the briefing.
Who supplied the names and EPIC numbers?
The letter says voter names, EPIC numbers and other particulars appeared to have been printed on some forms before the objectors’ details were filled in. Shivakumar asked investigators to examine the source, access and possible dissemination of the data, including whether there had been any unauthorised access or misuse.
He also sought scrutiny of the constituency-wise and booth-wise pattern of filings, whether the objections were genuine, and the identities of people submitting large batches. At the briefing, he demanded that authorities establish where the forms were printed and who was behind the exercise.
The memorandum says some Booth Level Officers had returned bulk applications. It asks that the relevant booths, constituencies, applicants, number of forms and reasons for returning them be collected and examined.
Written complaint lists five constituencies
The letter cites 6,259 applications in Mudigere, approximately 3,000 in Belagavi North, 2,285 in Bhalki, 1,373 in Babaleshwar and 1,200 in Narasimha Raj. It flags particularly large batches during September 22, 23 and 24, towards the end of the claims and objections period.
These are reported Form 7 applications seeking deletion, not a verified count of names actually removed. The written complaint and the briefing note also differ: the note quotes 3,244 for Bhalki, while the letter gives 2,285. Its Babaleshwar figure is ambiguously worded, whereas the letter specifies 1,373. The note separately cites about 14,000 applications in Vijayapura. The material does not explain these differences.
Shivakumar said civil society members led by actor Prakash Raj had visited polling stations to gather information. He alleged that party workers had filed hundreds of objections in their own names and that some had acknowledged their involvement.
FIRs, video evidence and political links
The memorandum names former BJP candidate Ravi B. Patil from Belagavi North and a Belagavi district Yuva BJP Morcha functionary identified as Jadav, alleging that they had publicly acknowledged bulk submissions through associates. It asks investigators to examine video recordings of those statements and independently verify alleged political affiliations and coordination.
The letter says FIRs had already been lodged over certain incidents and that copies and available video footage were enclosed for examination. Those underlying FIRs and recordings are not reproduced in the four letter pages. Shivakumar sought registration of a case without delay and appropriate criminal action against those found responsible.
Shivakumar alleges plan to target 50 lakh voters
At the briefing, Shivakumar alleged a wider plan to delete around 50 lakh voters in Karnataka. He also claimed that 1.07 crore names had already been left out during the Special Intensive Revision and that 45 lakh voters had received notices. These figures are his claims; the supplied material does not contain an independent Election Commission verification of them.
Accusing the BJP and JD(S) of using the revision exercise for political advantage, he called for the SIR to be cancelled. He also questioned Gyanesh Kumar’s knowledge of the alleged irregularities and demanded action against anyone who had pressured Booth Level Officers.
Government’s duty to protect voting rights
Shivakumar said the state had extended cooperation to election authorities throughout the revision process and that the Congress had appointed 54,000 booth-level agents. He said protecting the franchise of every eligible voter, irrespective of community or background, was his responsibility as Chief Minister.
He announced that he would submit a representation with Cabinet colleagues and stage a dharna until action was initiated. He later visited the Chief Electoral Officer’s office in Gandhinagar and held a protest, as reported in our separate report on the dharna and demand for a criminal case.
B.K. Hariprasad, Satish Jarkiholi, Chaluvarayaswamy, Shivaraj Tangadagi, M.B. Patil, Priyank Kharge, Santosh Lad, Eshwar Khandre and G.C. Chandrashekar were among those present at the briefing, according to Shivakumar’s account. The supplied statements do not include responses from the Election Commission, BJP or JD(S) to the allegations.
Related reaction: Pralhad Joshi questions why police have not filed an FIR over Shivakumar’s CEO-office dharna.
Related: Kumaraswamy alleges Shivakumar’s SIR protest aims to divert attention from the NICE row.
Latest development: Karnataka CEO directs inquiry before action against applicants submitting knowingly false voter forms; read the full letter.
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