Karnataka: Enumeration phase of SIR extended till Aug 17, draft rolls on Aug 24
Bengaluru, August 8
The Election Commission of India has extended the deadline for Special Intensive Revision of the electoral rolls in Karnataka, with the enumeration phase now ending on August 17.
As per the new schedule for the SIR exercise in the state, the draft voter lists will be published on August 24.
The period for filing claims and objections will be from August 24 to September 23. The notice phase, for disposal of claims and objections, will begin on August 24 and will go on till October 22.
The final electoral rolls will be published on October 27.
According to a press release from the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Karnataka, 1,09,83,901 (19.81 per cent) of the 5,54,32,314 electors have been found absent, shifted, duplicate, dead or others (ASDDO).
15,90,165 (2.87 per cent) electors were found to be absent or untraceable, 66,14,954 (11.93 per cent) permanently shifted, 16,34,326 (2.95 per cent) dead, 6,96,536 (1.26 per cent) already enrolled, and 4,47,920 (0.81 per cent) others as of 4 pm on Friday.
The highest number of ASDDO cases were found in Bengaluru Urban, which recorded 17,74,626, 44.13 per cent of the total 40,21,039 electors as of pre-SIR.
Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) South recorded 10,87,829 ASDDO cases, 50.72 per cent of its 21,44,784 electors.
A total of 182 forms were pending for digitisation at 4 pm on Friday.
Till Thursday, August 6, the ECI had received 12,43,012 applications for inclusion, shifting/correction and deletion, with 3,83,345 applications under Form 6 for inclusion of names in the voter list and 31,275 under Form 7 for deletion of names.
While the BJP has rallied in favour of the SIR exercise in other states and the Congress was seen opposing it, in Karnataka last month, a Janata Dal (Secular) and BJP delegation submitted a complaint to the Karnataka CEO V Anbukkumar over "massive irregularities" in the ongoing SIR.
— ANI
Reader Comments
The BBMP South figure of 50.72% ASDDO is alarming. Half the voters in that area couldn't be verified? This raises serious questions about the electoral roll's accuracy in urban pockets. I hope the claims and objections window from Aug 24 to Sep 23 will be used effectively by citizens to correct these errors. We must all check our names on the draft list when it comes out on August 24!
Honest question: why is the political class fighting over this? One party supports SIR, another opposes it. But for us common people, the main issue is that our names shouldn't get deleted wrongly. The extended timeline is fine, but the ECI should also set up more help centres in Bengaluru to assist people with Form 6 and Form 7 submissions. 12 lakh applications is a lot to process in a short time.
It's good that the ECI is doing this exercise to clean up the voter list. But the high numbers of "shifted" (11.93%) show how transient our population is, especially in cities. I just hope the process of deletion is done with utmost care so that no genuine voter loses their right to vote. The appeal and objection window is our chance to raise issues. Be vigilant, people!
I think there's a political motive behind this. The JD(S) and BJP complaining about "massive irregularities" while Congress is opposing it in other states. It feels like parties are afraid of losing votes. But as a citizen, I want the ECI to be neutral and transparent. This is a technical exercise, not a political battleground. The numbers are factual; now let's ensure fair play.
J James A