Bengaluru: The political dispute over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has intensified in Karnataka, with KPCC president B.K. Hariprasad demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and calling for an inquiry into alleged irregularities in the voter-list revision exercise.
Addressing reporters in Bengaluru, Hariprasad referred to reports about differences expressed by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi on certain matters before the Election Commission of India (ECI) during the past 10 months.
According to reports cited by Hariprasad, the objections related to various aspects of electoral-roll management, including voter deletions, Form-6 applications and handling of electoral data.
The ECI, however, has maintained that such observations and suggestions are part of its internal deliberative process. In a statement issued on September 23, the poll panel said that decisions taken by the Commission, including those relating to SIR, had the approval of the full Commission.
Hariprasad questioned the transparency of the electoral-roll revision process and sought an independent examination of documents relating to alleged deletion of voters’ names. He claimed that he had access to applications concerning around 65,000 voter deletions and questioned the absence of signatures in some of the documents.
He also alleged that the SIR exercise had affected voters from minority and Dalit communities in some parts of Karnataka. He referred to areas including Babaleshwar and Hubballi-Dharwad while making the allegations.
The claims made at the press conference have not been independently established, and the ECI has not endorsed the allegations.
Hariprasad also questioned the involvement of political leaders in responding to criticism of the poll panel’s functioning. He said concerns surrounding electoral-roll revisions should be addressed through transparent institutional mechanisms.
Congress plans protests
The KPCC chief announced that the Congress would hold a protest at Freedom Park in Bengaluru, with the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar among its demands. He said political parties that support democratic institutions would be invited to participate.
The party also plans to organise protests in districts across Karnataka, Hariprasad said, adding that the Congress would continue to raise concerns surrounding SIR and electoral-roll revisions.
The controversy follows recent reports about internal observations made during the ECI’s decision-making process. The Commission has maintained that differences expressed during internal deliberations do not alter the status of its final decisions, which it says were taken unanimously by the full Commission.