BJP, JD-S leaders urge EC to suspend SIR in Karnataka over 'irregularities'

New Delhi, Jul 7 (PTI) A delegation of BJP and JD(S) leaders from Karnataka on Tuesday met Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and demanded suspension of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state, alleging large-scale irregularities in the exercise. The delegation also alleged that booth level officers (BLOs) belonging to a particular religion are being deployed in minority-dominated areas to conduct the SIR exercise. The leaders urged the Election Commission (EC) to initiate strict legal and disciplinary action against officials and political functionaries found responsible for violating the prescribed procedures or facilitating the alleged irregularities. The delegation sought re-verification of all enumeration forms already collected and demanded that mandatory door-to-door verification of the forms be carried out. It also asked the EC to appoint central observers from other states for every district in Karnataka to oversee the SIR process and ensure that the revision is conducted in a fair, transparent and impartial manner. In a letter submitted to Kumar, the delegation alleged that officials conducting the SIR are showing "zero regard" for the approved process and "undermining the spirit of democracy". The delegation members included Union ministers Pralhad Joshi, H D Kumaraswamy, Shobha Karandlaje, and V Somanna, Leader of Opposition in Karnataka Assembly R Ashok, LoP in Legislative Council Chalavadi T Narayanaswamy, and MP Kota Srinivas Poojary. Expressing concern that the SIR guidelines are not being followed, the leaders said the exercise began on June 30 and nearly 72 per cent of the work had been completed within six days. Although the Karnataka Assembly elections are scheduled for 2028, the pace at which the SIR exercise is being carried out raises serious concerns and doubts, they said. The delegation expressed "serious concerns" over the manner in which the process is being carried out. "Under the SIR guidelines, booth level officers, under the directions of the district election officer (DEO/DC), are required to conduct mandatory door-to-door verification and personally verify the identity of the members of each household. However, this is not being followed on the ground," the letter said. It claimed that several such instances are available on social media and in the public domain and that similar complaints are being received from different parts of the state. "Enumeration forms are being filled while sitting at community halls, mosques and residences of BLOs. WhatsApp groups have also been created for the same purpose, and people are being encouraged to visit these community halls and mosques for the SIR process. Such a practice is a breach of the established SIR guidelines and raises serious concerns regarding the neutrality of the electoral process," the letter alleged. The NDA leaders also claimed that the names of relatives are being accepted for verification without following the eligibility criteria prescribed under the SIR guidelines. "BLOs are not informing the booth level agents (BLAs) about the verification process and related activities, thereby reducing transparency. In several cases, persons having only a common surname are being treated as members of the same family without proper verification, which is likely to result in serious errors in the electoral rolls," it alleged. The letter further claimed that the three mandatory visits prescribed by the EC are not being carried out. "The Election Commission has stated that these repeated visits are intended to ensure maximum coverage, so that every eligible voter has a reasonable opportunity to participate in the revision process," it said. The delegation also alleged that BLOs belonging to a particular religion are being deployed in minority-dominated areas to conduct the SIR exercise. "The religion of the BLOs should not matter while conducting the SIR. However, it has been found that BLOs belonging to a particular religion are being deployed in minority areas for conducting the SIR exercise. "Such deployment raises serious concerns about the fairness and impartiality of the process and needs immediate examination by the Election Commission of India," the letter said. PTI ADI ADI KVK KVK