Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer V Anbukkumar on Thursday night ordered election officials to initiate legal proceedings against people who knowingly submit false claims or objections regarding changes to electoral rolls.
The order comes as chief minister DK Shivakumar staged an protest alleging an organised effort to remove voters through Form 7 applications during the Special Intensive Revision.
In a circular sent to district election officers and Electoral Registration Officers in all 224 Assembly constituencies, Anbukkumar said his office had received reports of bulk Form 7 applications and allegations that some of the applications were not genuine.
“It has come to the notice of this office that there are instances of filing of bulk applications in Form 7 before the EROs. It is also alleged that such forms are not genuine,” the circular said.
Also Read | CM DK Shivakumar alleges plot to delete 5-6 million voters in Karnataka
{{/usCountry}}Also Read | CM DK Shivakumar alleges plot to delete 5-6 million voters in Karnataka
{{/usCountry}}The CEO directed EROs to take action against applicants who knowingly make false statements or declarations in Forms 6, 6A, 7 and 8 under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950. Such action, the circular said, must follow an inquiry under Rule 20 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.
The circular does not link the alleged bulk applications to any political party. It instead instructs election officials to establish through inquiry whether claims or objections were knowingly false before taking legal action.
The directive came as Shivakumar and his cabinet colleagues began a protest outside the CEO’s office in Bengaluru on Thursday evening. The chief minister submitted a memorandum seeking a criminal case and a detailed investigation into alleged attempts to delete eligible voters through large numbers of Form 7 applications.
Shivakumar said the protest would continue until the Election Commission ordered an investigation. Cabinet colleagues and legislators joined him.
He alleged that applications seeking deletion of voters had been filed in several constituencies and that some were withdrawn after objections were raised.
Also Read | Karnataka SIR row: Bulk Form 7 applications spur fears of voter deletion
“In two assembly constituencies in Ballari, 13,000 Form 7 applications were submitted and withdrawn. In Vijayapura, apart from Babaleshwar, 13,000 applications were submitted and withdrawn,” he said.
His memorandum cited about 3,000 Form 7 applications in Belagavi North, 6,259 in Mudigere, 1,373 in Babaleshwar, 1,200 in Narasimharaja and 2,285 in Bhalki.
Shivakumar alleged that applications had been filed seeking deletion of 45 lakh voters and accused BJP and JD(S) workers of being involved. “There is a big conspiracy by BJP and JD(S) to delete 50-60 lakh voters. BJP has printed large numbers of Form-7 to exclude votes,” he charged.
He also alleged that minorities, Dalits and tribal communities were being targeted. “There are many instances of individuals filing multiple applications in different names for deleting voters. Minorities, Dalits, tribals are being targeted to remove their names from electoral roll under Special Intensive Revision,” he said.
Shivakumar questioned the preparation of some Form 7 applications, saying voter details appeared to have been printed before objector information was entered. “In several cases, the names, EPIC numbers and other particulars of the voters proposed for deletion appear to have been pre-printed on the Form 7 applications, with the details of the objector subsequently filled in,” he said.
Police complaints have also been filed over alleged irregularities in Form 7 applications in different parts of Karnataka.
In Mysuru’s Narasimharaja constituency, a complaint was filed after a Booth Level Officer contacted social worker and former Mysuru City Corporation member Syed Hasarathulla about a Form 7 objection against him and 28 other voters. The application alleged that they no longer lived at their registered address.
Hasarathulla said he had lived and voted at the address for 39 years. Police registered Crime No. 220/2026 under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita concerning cheating, forgery and acts endangering public harmony.
In Belagavi North, another complaint concerned 198 Form 7 applications brought to the 7th Cross New Veerbhadra Nagar Government Urdu School on September 22.
Also Read | CM ‘challenges’ BJP to join delegation seeking central drought aid
In Bhalki, businessman and nominated member of the Bhalki City Municipal Council Mohd Ateeq Ahmed filed a complaint after 3,244 Form 7 applications were submitted between September 21 and 23. The applications allegedly described eligible voters as “shifted” or “absent”.
Ahmed said the Electoral Registration Officer told him notices had been issued following the bulk submissions, but none of the objectors listed in the applications appeared for the hearings.
A preliminary verification allegedly found that 32 named individuals and unidentified associates had forged signatures and entered their own mobile numbers in the applications. Bhalki Town police registered Crime No. 162/2026 under provisions relating to criminal conspiracy, forgery, cheating and public mischief.
The BJP rejected the allegations. Karnataka BJP president B Y Vijayendra alleged that Muslim voters were being gathered at mosques and marriage halls in some places during the SIR process, with officials being asked to add their names to electoral rolls.
He said BJP workers were bringing such alleged irregularities to the Election Commission’s notice.
“There is nothing wrong in requesting the Election Commission to verify and delete names suspected to have been added illegally. If the name is correct, the Election Commission will retain it; if it is illegal, it will be removed,” Vijayendra said.