Former Karnataka Chief Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday, 1 July called on all officials conducting the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls to work without fear or favour, warning that reports of political interference during the exercise had already begun to surface. Bommai directed his appeal at the Election Commission of India (ECI), urging it to issue firm directives to ensure the voter list is prepared fairly across the state.

What Bommai Said

'Officials should not yield to any kind of political pressure and must ensure that no ineligible person is included in the electoral rolls and that no eligible voter is excluded,' Bommai said in a statement. He noted that the SIR process had commenced on Tuesday, 30 June, with the distribution of enumeration forms statewide.

Bommai flagged that reports were circulating alleging that some officials had been directed to act under pressure from the Congress-led Karnataka state government during the revision exercise. He said such reports raised serious concerns about the integrity of the process.

Appeal to Election Officials

The BJP MP appealed specifically to District Election Officers, Deputy Commissioners, Panchayat Development Officers (PDOs), and Revenue Department officials to discharge their duties in a completely impartial manner. He also called upon the Election Commission to issue strict instructions to the vigilance teams constituted in every district to closely monitor the revision and ensure transparency.

Bommai further urged the ECI to release a clear public directive reaffirming that all officials involved in the SIR exercise must function independently and free of political interference. This comes amid the Karnataka BJP having separately accused the Congress-led state government on Tuesday of creating hurdles in the ongoing SIR exercise.

Ground-Level Progress on Day One

According to the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Karnataka, more than 12.48 lakh enumeration forms were distributed to voters across the state on the first day of the SIR exercise, covering 2.25 per cent of Karnataka's 5.54 crore registered electorate.

On the opening day, officials identified 291 deceased electors, 116 electors who had permanently shifted residence, and 77 individuals already enrolled elsewhere. Two cases were placed under the 'Others' category, according to the CEO's daily press release.

Digitisation of completed enumeration forms also began on the same day, with 47,817 forms digitised — accounting for 0.09 per cent of the electorate. Additionally, 6,840 voters submitted their enumeration forms online, representing 0.01 per cent of the total electorate.

Scope and Timeline of the SIR

Karnataka has 5,54,32,314 registered electors as of 16 June, all of whom are covered under the ongoing revision exercise. Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are conducting house-to-house distribution of enumeration forms. The field enumeration and digitisation process is scheduled to continue from 30 June to 29 July.

With allegations of pressure already flying and the BJP formally flagging concerns, the Election Commission's response in the coming days will be closely watched as a test of its institutional independence ahead of future electoral contests in the state.