BJP State Vice-President Anil Benake on Monday alleged that more than 10,000 bogus voters are registered in the Belagavi North Assembly constituency and accused the Karnataka state government of deploying police to intimidate party workers attempting to clean up the electoral rolls. The allegations were made at a press conference held at Jagannath Bhavan, the BJP state headquarters in Bengaluru.

What the BJP Has Alleged

Benake claimed that BJP workers were being threatened and obstructed when they tried to submit Form 7 applications — the official form used to seek deletion of ineligible names from the voter list. He said applications were physically snatched from party workers and that an FIR was registered against three BJP members and 20 others, prompting them to seek anticipatory bail.

'We will not be intimidated. The government is using the police to file cases against three of our members and 20 others. Our applications were snatched away, and we were not allowed to fill out Form 7. An FIR was registered against us, following which we decided to seek anticipatory bail,' Benake said.

Specific Irregularities Cited

Benake pointed to specific polling booths — numbers 196 and 197 — where the BJP had raised objections over alleged bogus entries, claiming those applications were refused. He alleged that one address in the constituency had 389 voters registered at the same location, while two other addresses showed 20 and 15 names respectively that the party believes belong to ineligible voters.

He further alleged that Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) were threatening to suspend Booth Level Officers (BLOs) who accepted Form 7 applications from BJP workers — a charge that, if verified, would indicate systemic pressure on election machinery. In some instances, he claimed, even after applications were submitted and fees paid, the party received no acknowledgment or information in return.

The Political Context

Benake drew a pointed contrast between the Congress government's activities and the situation on the ground, noting that the Chief Minister and the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president were staging protests in Delhi even as BJP workers were allegedly being denied the opportunity to flag bogus voters back home. He claimed that after the Chief Minister instructed police to register an FIR, enforcement action began targeting party members specifically.

This comes amid a broader national debate over electoral roll integrity, with multiple states reporting disputes over ghost voters and duplicate registrations ahead of upcoming assembly cycles. The Belagavi region, historically a competitive constituency, has seen repeated political flashpoints over representation and voter demographics.

What the BJP Plans Next

Benake announced that a BJP delegation would meet the Deputy Commissioner on Tuesday to formally bring the issue to the district administration's attention. The party's Booth Level Agents (BLAs), he said, would continue submitting deletion applications despite the alleged pressure. The BJP has specifically sought an inquiry into the names of deceased voters, persons no longer residing at registered addresses, and individuals whose names reportedly appear on multiple electoral rolls.

BJP state general secretary P. Rajeev, state spokesperson Surabhi, and party leaders Kanti Shetty and Raghavendra were present at the press conference. The state government is yet to formally respond to the allegations.