Civil society groups in Karnataka launch campaign opposing Election Commission’s voter roll revision
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Bengaluru: Over 100 representatives from civil society organizations, political parties, trade unions, women’s groups and student unions met in Bengaluru on Friday to oppose the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Karnataka.
At a meeting held at the Legislators’ Home, participants adopted a resolution to launch a statewide campaign titled “My Vote, My Right” to resist what they described as an “NRC-like” process that could lead to large-scale disenfranchisement of marginalized communities.
Speakers alleged that similar revisions in Bihar had resulted in the deletion of more than 6.8 million names from the electoral rolls, disproportionately affecting Dalits, Muslims, women and migrant workers. They argued that under the SIR, citizens are required to prove their eligibility to vote, reversing the earlier rule where the Election Commission had to justify deletions.
“The SIR follows the same logic as the NRC,” said Vinay Sreenivasa of Bahutva Karnataka. “It shifts the burden onto citizens and risks large-scale disenfranchisement.”
Clifton D’Rozario of the CPI(ML) Liberation said that many poor and marginalised voters lack the documents demanded by the ECI, such as birth or matriculation certificates. Activists also expressed concern that the SIR empowers election officers to refer “suspected foreign nationals” to authorities under the Citizenship Act, 1955.
“This gives unbridled powers to local officials and can be weaponized against minorities and the poor,” said a statement issued after the meeting.
Presiding over the discussion, DSS founder-member Indudara Honnapura called for mass mobilization against the measure. “Voters choose their leaders, but now the Election Commission wants to choose the voters,” he said.
Participants urged the Karnataka government to pass a resolution opposing the SIR, similar to Kerala’s position on the NRC and CAA, and demanded that the ECI hold consultations with civil society groups before proceeding.
Representatives from PUCL Karnataka, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, AICCTU, AIPWA, AISA, the All India Lawyers Association for Justice, and the Students’ Federation of India also took part in the round table.