Karnataka Congress Demands Voter List Corrections Ahead of Local Body Polls

The delegation included Ministers Ramalinga Reddy and Dinesh Gundu Rao, former Congress MP D.K. Suresh, MLAs Rizwan Arshad and A.C. Srinivas, and MLCs Puttanna and Srinivas.

Addressing the media later, Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress chief, said: "Today, along with leaders of our party, we met the State Election Commissioner. The State Election Commission is preparing to conduct elections to the upcoming GBA, municipal bodies, Zilla Panchayats, Taluk Panchayats, and Gram Panchayats. The Commission has been revising the voter list in the state based on the previously published voter rolls. However, there are several discrepancies even in the draft voter list that has now been released."

"Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are committing irregularities in the voter list. In the previous election, members of a single family were assigned to different booths. Proper mapping has not been done. Therefore, revision should be carried out by involving political parties' Booth Level Agents (BLAs) along with the BLOs. Along with the voter list, houses and votes must be properly mapped. Errors that occurred in certain constituencies and booths during the last election must be corrected. The revision must be carried out legally and within the framework of the law. In the past, deletion forms were submitted by individuals other than the actual voters. All such issues must be rectified. We have submitted a memorandum requesting these corrections," he said.

"Elections to the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), Zilla Panchayats, and Taluk Panchayats will be conducted in the coming days. The voter list must be revised immediately. If discrepancies arise later, it will bring a bad name to both the Commission and the government. As a precaution, we met the Commissioner and discussed these concerns. We have informed them of the discrepancies we have identified so far, including shifting voters to different booths, illegal deletion of minority and Scheduled Caste voters, and inclusion of fake votes. BLOs responsible for such irregularities must be suspended. Justice must be ensured to voters within the legal framework," he added.

Asked whether the State Election Commission would conduct a separate voter list revision, Shivakumar said: "The State Election Commission has the authority to conduct a separate revision, and they are carrying out that work."

Responding to a question about whether two revisions would create confusion, he said: "We will not comment on that. The responsibility of conducting local body elections lies with the State Election Commission, and they are doing their job. The previous voter list is not accurate. Let them conduct fresh mapping and prepare the voter list again. Those who are eligible to vote should be given their rightful voting rights."

The SEC's decision to use ballot papers instead of electronic voting machines (EVMs) for all upcoming local body elections has triggered a sharp political debate, with the ruling Congress defending the move as "one that restores public trust" and the BJP terming it "regressive".

- IANS