The Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday, 25 June submitted a formal complaint to State Chief Electoral Officer V. Anbu Kumar in Bengaluru, demanding urgent intervention against what it described as a parallel, unauthorised, and conflicting Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise allegedly initiated by the Karnataka State Election Commission (SEC) in 27 wards of the city. The BJP has also forwarded the complaint to the Election Commission of India (ECI) and warned of legal action if the exercise is not withdrawn.

Who Filed the Complaint and Where

A BJP delegation visited the ECI office near K.R. Circle in Bengaluru to submit the complaint. The delegation was led by Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy and included BJP State Spokesperson Prakash Shesharaghavachar, State Convenor of the BJP Legal Cell Vasanth Kumar, Bengaluru North District President S. Harish, and Bengaluru Central District President Saptagiri Gowda.

What the BJP Alleges

Speaking to reporters after the submission, Narayanaswamy argued that the ECI is already conducting its own SIR exercise to identify and remove duplicate voter entries across the country. He alleged that the SEC launching a similar exercise in 27 Bengaluru wards without ECI authorisation constitutes a direct conflict of jurisdiction.

'The question we are raising is this: when the ECI has already issued guidelines and is conducting the SIR exercise, how can the State Election Commission undertake a similar exercise in 27 wards of Bengaluru? Who authorised it? Carrying out such an exercise without the consent of the Election Commission of India is completely wrong,' he alleged.

Narayanaswamy further accused the ruling Congress government in Karnataka of influencing the SEC, claiming the commission had effectively become 'a puppet in the hands of the state government.' He stressed that the SEC 'cannot function above the Election Commission of India.'

BJP's Stance on the SIR Process

The BJP clarified it does not oppose voter roll revision in principle. Narayanaswamy stated that the ECI's own SIR exercise applies uniformly — irrespective of party affiliation — and that every individual is entitled to only one valid entry in the electoral roll. The party's objection, he said, is solely to the SEC conducting a separate, concurrent exercise without proper authorisation.

'There is no need to create panic among voters. All political parties will be treated equally in the revision process. The Congress government is unnecessarily creating fear and confusion among the people,' he claimed.

What Happens Next

The BJP has said it will await the ECI's response before deciding its next course of action. Narayanaswamy warned that if the SEC's exercise continues, legal action could be initiated against both the Karnataka state government and the State Election Commission. This complaint adds to a growing pattern of opposition parties raising jurisdictional concerns over state-level electoral bodies, particularly ahead of local body elections.