K’taka CM directs EC to provide constituency-wise details of Form 7 objections

Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday said he had directed the Chief Electoral Officer to provide constituency-wise data on Form 7 objections, including details of bulk applications and those submitted without citing the prescribed reasons or providing the mandatory information required for deleting voters’ names.

The Congress leader said there were serious concerns that bulk objections could be used to target the electoral rights of minorities, Dalits, tribals and other backward communities, Maktoob Media reported.

His remarks came days after The Hindu reported that large numbers of Form 7 applications seeking deletion of voters had been submitted across several Assembly constituencies in Karnataka, with a significant proportion reportedly targeting Muslim voters. According to the newspaper’s report, more than 4,000 deletions had been sought, based on the Form 10 statutory report that records Form 7 objections.

Actor Prakash Raj had also recently alleged that Form 7 was being misused during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Karnataka to target around 21,000 Muslim voters.

Shivakumar said the use of pre-printed voter details while submitting objections had raised further concerns about a possible systematic attempt to undermine the SIR process.

He added that he had asked authorities to register FIRs against anyone found to be involved in such activities, arguing that attempts to manipulate electoral rolls or introduce a communal dimension into the revision process could not be permitted. He also directed that copies of such FIRs be sent to the Chief Secretary.

Similar allegations concerning bulk Form 7 applications targeting Muslim voters have also emerged from Delhi and West Bengal amid the ongoing scrutiny of the electoral roll revision process.