Karnataka Voter List Shrinks: Nearly 1 Crore Names Axed After Special Revision
Karnataka's voter list drops to 4.55 crore after a Special Intensive Revision. Find out why nearly 1 crore names were removed from the rolls.
In a massive shake-up of the state's democratic database, the Karnataka electoral roll revision has resulted in a staggering decline of 99.32 lakh voters. Following a Special Intensive Revision (SIR), the final list published on Tuesday now records 4.55 crore electors, a sharp drop from the initial 5.54 crore.
This represents a decline of approximately 17.92 per cent, marking one of the most significant purges of ineligible or inactive voters in the state's history.
The Breakdown: Who is Still on the List?
According to data released by the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Karnataka, the final electoral roll is distributed as follows:
- Male Electors: 2.26 crore
- Female Electors: 2.29 crore
- Third-Gender Electors: 2,841
The revision also highlights specific demographic segments, including 6.83 lakh young voters in the 18-19 age bracket and 3.92 lakh senior citizens aged 85 years and above.
How the Purge Happened: The SIR Process
The massive reduction was the result of a rigorous house-to-house verification drive conducted between June 30 and August 17. A fleet of 60,923 Booth Level Officers (BLOs) worked across all 224 Assembly constituencies to verify 5.54 crore electors.
The process revealed a significant gap in participation: while 4.46 crore electors (80.52 per cent) submitted their enumeration forms, a massive 1.08 crore people (19.48 per cent) failed to do so, leading to their initial exclusion from the draft roll.
Why were 99 Lakh voters removed?
The CEO Karnataka office categorized the primary reasons for the decline as follows:
- Permanently Shifted: 65.46 lakh electors
- Deceased: 16.40 lakh electors
- Marked Absent: 19.01 lakh electors
- Duplicates/Already Enrolled: 7.10 lakh electors
Adjustments and Appeals
The transition from the draft roll (4.46 crore) to the final roll (4.55 crore) saw a net increase of 8.64 lakh electors. This was driven by 10.08 lakh new additions—mostly through Form 6—offset by 1.88 lakh deletions and nearly 9 lakh modifications.
Furthermore, officials generated notices for 43.83 lakh electors whose details did not match during verification. After conducting hearings, 61,867 of these individuals were officially deemed ineligible for the final roll.
Political Firestorm and Legal Battles
The exercise has not passed without controversy. The Congress party has voiced heavy criticism over the scale of the deletions. Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar emphasized that protecting the rights of voters is the primary duty of the state government and the party.
Taking the matter to the highest court, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court. He is seeking a halt to the nationwide Special Intensive Revision drive and the suspension of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, citing discrepancies in the process.
How to Verify Your Voter Status
The CEO office has urged all citizens to ensure their names are present on the list. Verification can be done through:
- The offices of Electoral Registration Officers (EROs).
- Assistant Electoral Registration Officers.
- Booth Level Officers (BLOs).
- The official CEO Karnataka website and the Election Commission's voter services portal.
Any citizen aggrieved by a decision made by an Electoral Registration Officer can file an appeal to the District Magistrate under Section 24(a) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950. A second appeal can be directed to the Chief Electoral Officer under Section 24(b).
"No eligible citizen is left out while no ineligible person is included in the electoral roll."
The CEO office concluded the exercise by thanking the BLOs and the representatives of seven recognized political parties—AAP, BSP, BJP, CPI(M), INC, NPP, and JD(S)—who participated in the process.