Karnataka BJP alleges SIR exercise run from mosques, flags EC violations
Synopsis
Karnataka BJP chief B.Y. Vijayendra has alleged that the state government is conducting the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision of voter rolls from mosques and using official BLOs for Congress campaigning — a charge that sharpens the BJP-Congress confrontation over electoral integrity in Karnataka ahead of any future polls.
Key Takeaways
Karnataka BJP President B.Y.
Vijayendra alleged on Friday, 4 July 2025 that the SIR of electoral rolls is being conducted from mosques , violating Election Commission of India guidelines.
He claimed Booth Level Officers (BLOs) in Sagar town, Shivamogga district are being used for Congress party campaigning instead of official duties.
The BJP has filed a formal complaint with the Election Commission over alleged irregularities in areas including Chamarajpet .
Vijayendra alleged Chief Minister D.K.
Shivakumar is using the SIR exercise as a pretext to delay the Karnataka Cabinet expansion .
The BJP leader also alleged violent incidents in Naregal , Rattehalli (Hassan district) , and Chikkaballapur , blaming the state government's law-and-order record.
Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra on Friday, 4 July 2025, alleged that the state's ruling government was misusing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls — conducting the exercise from mosques and deploying Booth Level Officers (BLOs) for party propaganda rather than official duties. The allegations were made at a press conference at BJP headquarters, Jagannath Bhavan, in Bengaluru.
Key Allegations Against the State Government
Vijayendra claimed that BLOs — officials designated by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to manage voter roll revision at the ground level — were being directed to operate from mosques in violation of prescribed procedures. 'Officials are being made to sit inside mosques to complete the SIR process. The state government is carrying out a conspiracy against Hindus,' he alleged.
He further claimed that in Sagar town in Shivamogga district, BLOs were being used for Indian National Congress (Congress) party campaigning instead of their official duties. 'In Sagar, BLOs are being used for campaigning in favour of the Congress. The Chief Minister must immediately correct this,' Vijayendra said.
Complaint Filed with Election Commission
The BJP said it had already lodged a formal complaint with the Election Commission of India over alleged irregularities in the SIR process in areas including Chamarajpet. 'We have submitted a complaint to the Election Commission regarding the confusion and irregularities taking place in areas like Chamarajpet in connection with the SIR exercise. We urge the Election Commission officials to rectify the situation,' Vijayendra said.
Cabinet Expansion Row
Responding to questions on the delayed Karnataka Cabinet expansion, Vijayendra alleged that Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar was using the SIR exercise as a pretext to stall the reshuffle. 'The Chief Minister knows the reality that if the Cabinet is expanded, the very foundation of this government will be shaken. That is why he is using the SIR exercise as an excuse,' he claimed.
Law-and-Order Concerns Raised
Vijayendra also raised several alleged incidents of violence, claiming that six members of a single family from the Halumatha community were assaulted in Naregal in Hangal taluk. He further alleged that one Shivaji Rao, described as a member of a poor Maratha family from Rattehalli in Hassan district, was beaten to death in broad daylight. Additionally, he alleged that a physiotherapist in Chikkaballapur was murdered in what he described as a 'love jihad' case — a term critics argue is politically loaded and contested.
Vijayendra criticised Chief Minister Shivakumar's 'soft Hindutva' approach, Home Minister Priyank Kharge's policies, and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President B.K. Hariprasad's alleged anti-Hindu stance, arguing these were emboldening communal elements in the state. This comes amid an intensifying political confrontation between the BJP and the ruling Congress government over the EC's SIR implementation, with the Opposition alleging widespread guideline violations and political interference.
Point of View
Law-and-order incidents, and the cabinet expansion stalemate into a single anti-government narrative ahead of local body elections. The mosque allegation, if unverified, risks inflaming communal sentiment; the ECI has not yet publicly responded to the BJP's complaint, which is the only institutional check that matters here. Notably, the Congress government has not issued a detailed rebuttal on the BLO conduct specifically, leaving the charge uncontested in the immediate news cycle. The cabinet expansion subplot is the more revealing detail: it signals that internal Congress tensions may be as significant as the BJP's external pressure.
NationPress
3 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Karnataka?
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is an Election Commission of India-mandated process to update and clean up voter rolls, carried out by designated Booth Level Officers (BLOs). The BJP has alleged that in Karnataka, this process is being conducted from mosques and that BLOs are being misused for political campaigning, charges the state government has not formally addressed as of the BJP's press conference on 4 July 2025.
What specific violations has the Karnataka BJP alleged?
Karnataka BJP President B.Y. Vijayendra alleged that BLOs are being directed to operate from mosques, violating ECI prescribed procedures, and that in Sagar town in Shivamogga district, BLOs are being used for Congress party campaigning. The BJP has filed a formal complaint with the Election Commission over irregularities in Chamarajpet and other areas.
Has the Election Commission responded to the BJP's complaint?
As of the BJP's press conference on 4 July 2025, the Election Commission of India had not publicly responded to the complaint filed by the party over alleged SIR irregularities in Karnataka. Vijayendra urged EC officials to 'rectify the situation.'
Why is the Karnataka Cabinet expansion being delayed, according to the BJP?
B.Y. Vijayendra alleged that Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar is deliberately using the SIR exercise as a pretext to delay the Cabinet expansion, claiming that expanding the Cabinet would 'shake the very foundation of this government.' The Congress has not publicly responded to this specific charge.
What law-and-order incidents did Vijayendra raise at the press conference?
Vijayendra alleged that six members of a Halumatha community family were assaulted in Naregal, Hangal taluk; that Shivaji Rao of a Maratha family was beaten to death in Rattehalli, Hassan district; and that a physiotherapist was murdered in Chikkaballapur in what he described as a 'love jihad' case. All allegations were attributed to Vijayendra and have not been independently verified in this report.
