Bengaluru, Oct 5 — A delegation of NDA leaders on Monday alleged that the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) appeared to have come under pressure from the Karnataka government regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and sought protection for individuals and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders filing Form-7 objections.
The delegation, led by Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, Union Minister of State Shobha Karandlaje, former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R. Ashoka and Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, submitted a complaint to Chief Electoral Officer V. Anbukumar alleging undue interference by the state government in the SIR process.
The NDA leaders expressed concern over what they described as “undue influence” exerted by the state government on the constitutional process of SIR, particularly with regard to the filing of Form-7 applications seeking deletion of names from electoral rolls.
They urged the Chief Electoral Officer to issue appropriate directions to Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) and District Magistrates to safeguard the interests of individuals filing Form-7 objections.
The delegation also sought directions to the Karnataka Police, through the Director General and Inspector General of Police, to ensure that the police do not interfere in the SIR process by registering what it termed false or unwarranted FIRs against individuals, including BJP workers.
The NDA leaders maintained that there was no bar on filing Form-7 applications in bulk and cited an Election Commission of India communication dated January 16, 2026, in support of their contention.
“There exists a provision to file applications in bulk for identifying corrections to be carried out in the draft electoral rolls. Hence, there is no bar on filing bulk applications through Form-7,” the submission stated.
The delegation alleged that members of the ruling Congress government and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) workers had been influencing and interfering with the SIR process.
It further alleged that the state government was misusing the police machinery by registering criminal cases against individuals who had filed Form-7 objections, creating fear and apprehension among objectors.
The NDA leaders alleged that while filing false objections was punishable, the police were registering serious offences such as cheating, forgery, intimidation and breach of peace against individuals filing Form-7 applications.
They also alleged that the police were attempting to bypass the non-cognisable nature of Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, by registering serious cases without due application of mind and under political pressure, particularly against BJP workers and individuals sympathetic to the party.
The submission referred to reports of FIRs being registered in Bhalki in Bidar, Market Area in Belagavi, Vyalikaval in Bengaluru, Ballari and Narasimharaja in Mysuru.
The delegation alleged that such action amounted to misuse of police powers to interfere with the functioning of the Election Commission of India.
The NDA leaders also objected to the protest staged by Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and other ministers on October 1 at the premises of the Chief Electoral Officer’s office.
They alleged that the protest was held despite prohibitory orders and exerted undue pressure on the functioning of the Chief Electoral Office.
The delegation sought clarification on how a private individual was permitted to file a complaint under the relevant provisions when the prescribed procedure required action by the government or a competent authority.
It also sought clarification on how the complainant obtained the relevant official document, under what authority it was accepted and acted upon, and the legal basis and procedure followed in registering and proceeding with the complaint.
The NDA delegation said the SIR process was progressing in a structured manner and was currently at the stage of notice hearings and the filing of claims and objections.
It said filing objections to the inclusion of a voter’s name in the electoral roll was a legitimate statutory right available to a person whose name was already included in the roll.
According to the submission, once an objection is filed through Form-7, the ERO or AERO is required to conduct a summary inquiry by issuing notices.
During the hearing, both the objector and the person against whom the objection has been made are entitled to appear and be heard.
The NDA leaders said the process of deciding objections through Form-7 was a statutory and constitutional mechanism aimed at ensuring that ineligible voters do not exercise their right to vote, citing Sections 16 to 20 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
They urged the Chief Electoral Officer to ensure that the SIR process is conducted independently and that individuals exercising their statutory right to file objections are not subjected to undue pressure or intimidation.