Karnataka LoP R. Ashoka slams Congress over Form 7 crackdown on BJP workers
Synopsis
Karnataka's Opposition leader R. Ashoka has escalated a brewing political battle over Form 7 — the ECI form used to object to voter roll entries — accusing the Congress government of weaponising police against BJP workers who filed the applications, while alleging over 300 families of alleged Bangladeshi nationals were being enrolled as voters in Bengaluru's Kogilu Cross area.
Key Takeaways
Ashoka on 3 October accused the state government of using police to target BJP workers who submitted Form 7 electoral objection applications.
Ashoka alleged CM D.K.
Shivakumar and ministers staged a sit-in outside the Election Commission office to pressure authorities against Form 7 filings.
A BJP delegation including B.S.
Yediyurappa and B.Y.
Vijayendra met the DGP on Friday to demand an end to FIRs against Form 7 applicants.
Ashoka alleged more than 300 families of alleged Bangladeshi nationals were being added to voter rolls in Kogilu Cross , Bengaluru; the BJP has approached court.
The BJP warned police officers of consequences and threatened to intensify agitation if criminal cases are not withdrawn.
Ashoka also urged the state government to provide accurate figures to a Central drought assessment team visiting Karnataka .
Karnataka Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka on Saturday, 3 October accused the state government of deploying police against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers who had submitted Form 7 applications — electoral objection forms prescribed by the Election Commission of India (ECI) — calling the conduct 'goondaism' and a direct assault on constitutional rights.
What Is Form 7 and Why It Is Contested
Form 7 is an ECI-prescribed application that allows citizens to object to the inclusion of a name in the electoral roll or seek its deletion. Ashoka maintained that filing the form is a fundamental democratic right and that adjudicating its merits is solely the Election Commission's prerogative.
'Filing Form 7 is our right. It is for the Election Commission to decide whether a voter's records are correct or not,' Ashoka told reporters after a meeting on Saturday.
He also rejected allegations that the applications had been printed by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), insisting that the forms are publicly available and can be submitted online through the prescribed process.
BJP's Allegations Against the Congress Government
Ashoka alleged that Indian National Congress (Congress) leaders had staged a protest outside the Election Commission office opposing Form 7 filings, and had pressured election authorities to initiate criminal cases against those who submitted them. He claimed that Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and several ministers had participated in a sit-in outside the Commission's office — an act he described as unconstitutional interference with an independent body.
'All police stations have become Congress offices,' Ashoka alleged, adding that the BJP had submitted a formal complaint to the Police Commissioner. He said Congress subsequently issued a statement denying that the sit-in had taken place, despite leaders having earlier posted about the protest on social media.
On Friday, a delegation that included former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, BJP State President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, and several MPs and MLAs met the Director General of Police (DGP) and submitted a memorandum urging an end to FIRs against Form 7 applicants.
The Kogilu Cross Controversy
Ashoka specifically cited the Kogilu Cross area in Bengaluru, alleging that Bangladeshi nationals had been settled on 15 acres of land and that attempts had been made to enrol more than 300 families in electoral rolls. He said the BJP had challenged this in court.
He further alleged that former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and ministers B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan and Krishna Byre Gowda had backed the residents and that a decision to provide them housing had been taken — and later reversed. The Congress government has not publicly responded to these specific allegations.
Ashoka framed the Congress's opposition to Form 7 as rooted in electoral self-interest. 'Because of this, the Congress is afraid of defeat everywhere,' he said, alleging the party was protecting names of alleged illegal immigrants on voter lists.
BJP's Warning and Drought Remarks
Ashoka warned police officers against misusing their authority, saying they would face consequences once the current government's term ends. 'The government will last only one more year. If police officers misuse their power, they will have to regret it later,' he said, adding that an NDA government would come to power in the state.
He also invoked the Emergency imposed by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, accusing the Congress of lecturing the BJP on constitutional values despite its own historical record.
Separately, on the drought situation, Ashoka said a Central government team had arrived in Karnataka to assess crop losses and urged the state government to provide accurate figures. He claimed the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government had provided twice the drought relief compared with the previous Manmohan Singh government. The BJP said it would independently inspect drought-affected districts in the first phase, including Chikkaballapur, Doddaballapur, Chamarajanagar, and Mandya, including areas where farmers have died by suicide.
With the BJP threatening to escalate its agitation and the Congress yet to formally respond to the DGP memorandum, the standoff over Form 7 is set to deepen ahead of the next electoral cycle in Karnataka.
Point of View
It is simultaneously contesting voter rolls and building a political narrative around identity. The Congress, by allegedly protesting outside the Election Commission, has handed the opposition a constitutionally awkward image. Neither side has produced independently verified data on the scale of disputed entries, which means the public debate is running well ahead of the evidentiary record.
NationPress
3 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Form 7 and why is it at the centre of the Karnataka controversy?
Form 7 is an Election Commission of India-prescribed application that allows a citizen to object to a name's inclusion in the electoral roll or seek its deletion. In Karnataka, the BJP has filed a large number of Form 7 applications, alleging that names of illegal immigrants have been added to voter lists; the Congress has opposed this drive, leading to a political standoff.
What did Karnataka LoP R. Ashoka allege against the Congress government?
Ashoka alleged that Congress leaders pressured election authorities to register criminal cases against BJP workers who submitted Form 7 applications, and that CM D.K. Shivakumar and ministers staged a sit-in outside the Election Commission office. He also accused the government of using police stations as 'Congress offices' to target BJP workers.
What is the Kogilu Cross controversy that Ashoka raised?
Ashoka alleged that Bangladeshi nationals had been settled on 15 acres of land in the Kogilu Cross area of Bengaluru and that over 300 families were being enrolled in electoral rolls. He said the BJP has challenged this in court and that former CM Siddaramaiah and two ministers had backed the residents.
What action has the BJP taken so far on the Form 7 issue?
A senior BJP delegation including B.S. Yediyurappa and B.Y. Vijayendra met the Director General of Police on Friday and submitted a memorandum urging an end to FIRs against Form 7 applicants. The party has also filed a complaint with the Police Commissioner and approached the court over the Kogilu Cross matter.
What did Ashoka say about the drought situation in Karnataka?
Ashoka said a Central government assessment team had arrived in Karnataka to evaluate crop losses and urged the state to provide accurate drought figures. He claimed the Modi government has provided twice the relief of the previous Manmohan Singh government, and announced that BJP leaders would independently inspect drought-hit districts including Chikkaballapur, Doddaballapur, Chamarajanagar, and Mandya.
