Karnataka CM Shivakumar stages dharna at poll office over Form 7 deletions; BJP hits back

The ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Karnataka turned into a direct confrontation on Thursday, 1 October 2026, when Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, along with Cabinet ministers, an MP and several Congress MLAs, staged a sit-in at the office of the state's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) V Anbukkumar in Bengaluru.

What the Chief Minister alleged

Shivakumar alleged that Form 7 applications — the form used to object to a name on the voter list and seek its deletion — had been filed in bulk in several constituencies, some of them pre-printed with voters' names and EPIC numbers. He cited constituencies including Belagavi North, Mudigere, Babaleshwar, Narasimharaja and Bhalki, and claimed that voters from minority, SC/ST and backward communities were being targeted. He claimed that up to 50–60 lakh more voters could be affected and accused BJP and JD(S) workers of being behind the filings.

Demands made

In a memorandum, the CM sought:

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• registration of an FIR and a criminal investigation,
• a constituency- and booth-level probe of unusually high Form 7 filings,
• tracing of who printed and supplied the pre-filled forms, and
• an inquiry into how applicants obtained voters' details.

The CEO's office accepted the memorandum. Officials sought time to examine the material and asked district officials for reports.

BJP's response

Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka said anyone can file a Form 7 and it is for the Election Commission to decide whether a name stays or goes. He asked the EC to verify applications on the spot and accused the Chief Minister of trying to dictate terms to a constitutional body. He denied that the BJP had prepared printed forms.

State BJP president B Y Vijayendra challenged the CM to prove the allegation of a plan to delete about 50 lakh names or resign. On 2 October, BJP workers held a sit-in outside the Bengaluru Police Commissioner's office seeking a case against the CM and ministers for protesting at the CEO's office.

Why it matters

Form 7 is a legitimate tool to remove dead, shifted or duplicate voters, but bulk or false filings can lead to wrongful deletions. Electoral registration officers are required to verify objections before acting on them. Voters in Karnataka can check their status on the ECI's voter portal and file a claim if their name is missing.