Bid to delete 4.6k voters in 2 Karnataka assembly seats

BENGALURU: Complaints over attempts to mass-delete voter names from rolls surfaced in two Karnataka assembly constituencies during SIR, highlighting a discrepancy between EC's earlier claim of "nil" objections and data submitted during subsequent window to file claims and objections.Babaleshwar, represented by industries minister M B Patil, saw Form 7 applications seeking deletion of 1,682 names, while 2,928 names were sought to be deleted in Bhalki, constituency of rural development and panchayat raj minister Eshwar Khandre.A majority of those whose names were sought to be deleted belong to a minority community, while a sizeable number belongs to the Madar community among Dalits.Logical discrepancies: BLOs will collect docus from your homeHowever, most of these applications for mass deletion were withdrawn on Sept 23 over fear of triggering punitive measures if proven wrong.Vijayapura (Bijapur) district electoral officer and deputy commissioner Dr Anandh K, whose jurisdiction includes Babaleshwar, told TOI: “All mass applications for Form 7 were withdrawn in the district, except those filed by the family members themselves.”Data available on the CEO’s website shows between Sep 19 and 25, 131 persons in Bhalki had filed Form 7 applications covering 3,072 voters, while 40 persons in Babaleshwar sought deletion of 1,630 voters.Bidar DC Shilpa Sharma, who is also the DEO, told TOI those who raised objections were told to file the prescribed forms with affidavits and were also cautioned that they were liable to be punished if the information furnished by them was found to be incorrect.For voters who received notices because their names could not be mapped or because of “logical discrepancies”, the Election Commission’s revised guidelines announced Saturday offers some relief. BLOs will now visit their homes, collect supporting documents, and upload them for the ERO to decide. Such voters will not be typically called for a hearing. Any adult family member can also be authorised to attend the hearing.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Bengaluru | Silver Rate in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru | Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Petrol Price in Bengaluru | Diesel Price in Bengaluru | CNG Price in Bengaluru | LPG Price in BengaluruStay updated with the latest Bengaluru news. Download the TOI App.