New Delhi: Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar wrote to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Saturday, urging him to provide adequate time for verification and adhere to the prescribed procedure during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in the southern state.
In a letter to the CEC, Shivakumar has sought an extension of the period for claims and objections, adequate time for the voters facing verification and full implementation of the prescribed procedure for the SIR in Karnataka.
In a post on X, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh shared Shivakumar's letter to Kumar and said, "Here is the letter of the CM, Karnataka to the CEC on the massive and unjustified deletion of names from the electoral roll through the SIR process in the state."
"We hope that the CEC will take prompt action regarding the concerns raised by the CM," he said.
In his letter to the CEC, Shivakumar has said the SIR in Karnataka has thrown up figures that merit serious attention.
"Of the 5.54 crore electors in Karnataka, nearly 1.08 crore -- almost one in five -- have been placed in the Absent, Shifted, Dead, Duplicate and Others (ASDDO) category. In addition, following publication of the draft roll on August 24, verification notices are expected to be issued to roughly 43.8 lakh electors for 'logical discrepancies' or absence of a link to the 2002 roll," he has said.
In Bengaluru alone, 46.88 lakh electors have been placed under the ASDDO category, which translates into about 1.5 crore voters in Karnataka facing deletion unless they submit their claims for continuation or fresh inclusion, the chief minister has pointed out.
A significant number of those categorised as "Absent" might be genuine voters who could not submit their enumeration forms because they were away from home for work, health or other legitimate reasons when the BLO visited, he has said.
Similarly, Shivakumar has said that electors who have moved to a different polling station were not given an opportunity to submit the enumeration forms at their new addresses during the house-to-house visit by BLOs, while their names were deleted from the roll at their previous addresses.
In Bengaluru and other cities, even moving across the street can mean a change of the polling station and lakhs of genuine voters may face disenfranchisement under the "Absent and Shifted" categories and will now have to file Form 6 for inclusion, the chief minister has said.
"This is particularly concerning in a dynamic society where individuals and families routinely move between neighbourhoods, cities, towns and villages for work, marriage and other reasons. Mobility should not translate into disenfranchisement.
"This concern is especially important for poorer and marginalised citizens who may move frequently for livelihood and may not readily possess or access the documents required to establish their eligibility. The SIR must therefore protect the voting rights of every eligible citizen while ensuring the accuracy and integrity of the electoral roll," he has added.
The Congress leader has underlined that the Election Commission (EC) has the dual responsibility of preparing accurate electoral rolls and ensuring that no genuine and eligible voter is excluded.
Noting that these objectives are not in conflict, he has said with adequate time and proper processes, both can be achieved, and sought more time for electors for their verification.
Shivakumar has also said his government is ready to provide all possible assistance, including mobilising the local administration for Gram Sabha and Ward Committee meetings, undertaking widespread publicity campaigns to reach affected voters and providing any other coordination or logistical support.
"The objective must be an electoral roll that the people of Karnataka can trust: one in which every eligible citizen is included, every ineligible entry is removed, and no citizen is deprived of the franchise merely for want of adequate time, information or opportunity to establish his or her eligibility," the chief minister has said.