Bhatkal: Amid reports from states such as West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh of large-scale omissions from electoral rolls following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), preparatory groundwork has begun gaining momentum in Karnataka even before the formal rollout of the exercise.

Across the state, government officials, in coordination with civil society organisations, have initiated awareness drives and voter-mapping exercises using the 2002 electoral rolls as a reference point. The effort is aimed at verifying voter records and ensuring accuracy ahead of the revision process.

In this context, a two-day special camp was organised in Bhatkal by Majlis Islah wa Tanzeem under the leadership of its president, Inayatullah Shabandri, on Saturday and Sunday. The camp drew a large turnout, with hundreds of residents seeking assistance and clarification.

Volunteers at the camp helped over 500 individuals trace their names in the 2002 voter list. Participants were provided with essential details, including polling booth numbers, voter serial numbers and contact information of their respective Booth Level Officers (BLOs). They were also advised to complete the mapping process at the earliest, with volunteers offering step-by-step guidance.

Mubashir Hussain Hallare, convener of the Tanzeem’s SIR Committee, said the Tanzeem is extending full support to voters in Bhatkal and providing detailed guidance on subsequent procedures to ensure that no eligible voter is left out of the rolls.

Although the camp was scheduled to conclude at 4 pm on Sunday, people continued to arrive even an hour later, underscoring the scale of concern among residents attempting to verify their records.

Highlighting individual cases, a Bhatkal resident who is currently working in Doha, Qatar, said that despite his family having voted in the 2023 Assembly elections, none of their names could be traced in the 2002 electoral rolls. The 55-year-old said he was present in Bhatkal during the last Assembly polls and had cast his vote, but the absence of his family’s names in earlier records has left them concerned.

Hallare said nearly 1,000 individuals from Bhatkal—many of them residing in Gulf countries—have been unable to locate their names in the 2002 voter list. He attributed this primarily to the fact that several of them were either not present at their native addresses at the time or were living abroad when the rolls were prepared.

He added that the Tanzeem would take up the issue and work towards identifying such cases to ensure that eligible voters are not excluded from the electoral process.

Abdul Raqeeb M.J. Nadvi, General Secretary of the Tanzeem, said more such camps will be organised in the coming days to facilitate corrections and fresh inclusions in the voter lists. He reiterated the organisation’s commitment to ensuring that no voter is disenfranchised.