One in five voters missing from Karnataka’s final SIR rolls as nearly 99 lakh names are removed 

Millat Times Desk

28 October 2026 (Publish: 08:12 AM IST)

0

Karnataka’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has led to the removal of nearly 99.32 lakh names from the voter list, triggering political controversy over the exercise and allegations of targeted deletions.

Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) V. Anbukkumar said the state had 4,55,00,011 registered voters following the revision, including 2,25,83,107 men, 2,29,14,063 women and 2,841 voters categorised as others.

Before the exercise, Karnataka had 5,54,32,314 registered voters. The difference amounts to 99,32,303 names, representing nearly 18 per cent of the previous electorate.

Anbukkumar also said Karnataka had 1,017 female voters for every 1,000 male voters.

The publication of the revised rolls comes amid objections from several political parties, including the ruling Congress, which has questioned the process and alleged large-scale, targeted deletions.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar alleged that opposition parties, particularly the BJP, were involved in illegal activities, including the mass printing and submission of Form 7 applications used to request the deletion of voters’ names. He claimed that Muslim voters were particularly at risk.

“The duty of the Karnataka government and the party is to protect every voter in this state and the country,” Shivakumar said.

The Karnataka CEO denied allegations of irregularities in the exercise. Addressing complaints about officials deleting names, Anbukkumar said Form 7 applications involving ineligible voters were handled according to the prescribed procedure, including cases in which applications were rejected and recorded in an official’s name.

According to the SIR data, approximately 4.46 crore electors, or 80.52 per cent of the baseline electorate, submitted signed enumeration forms to Booth Level Officers.

The remaining 1,07,96,339 forms were classified under the categories of absentee, shifted, deceased and duplicate voters. These included 65.45 lakh people recorded as permanently shifted, 19 lakh absentees, 16.39 lakh deceased individuals and 7.09 lakh duplicate registrations.

The CEO said applications were still pending, and eligible individuals could apply for inclusion in the electoral rolls, subject to verification.

The revision has become a major political issue, with opposition parties and civil society groups raising concerns about voter exclusion and the transparency of the process.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has accused the Election Commission of allowing voters’ names to be removed improperly. The Congress and other INDIA bloc parties have organised protests and demanded accountability from Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The Congress has also announced a rally at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan on November 1 to protest alleged electoral irregularities.

The Karnataka controversy adds to the wider debate over the SIR exercise, with the Congress demanding safeguards against wrongful deletions and election authorities maintaining that the revision follows established procedures.

The key question now is whether eligible voters whose names are missing from the revised rolls can have their registrations restored before upcoming elections. The allegations of targeted deletions remain contested, and their validity will depend on evidence and the findings of the relevant authorities.