Karnataka BJP chief Vijayendra hits back at CM Shivakumar over SIR, Form-7 row
Synopsis
Karnataka BJP chief B.Y. Vijayendra fired back at CM D.K. Shivakumar on Tuesday, using the state government's own Chief Electoral Officer's figure of 91,278 Form-7 objections to expose what he called a glaring contradiction in Congress's claim of targeted mass voter deletions — and pointedly reminded voters that the officials overseeing the process were appointed by the state, not the BJP.
Key Takeaways
Karnataka BJP president B.Y.
Vijayendra on 6 October 2026 accused CM D.K.
Shivakumar of propaganda over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and Form-7 process.
Vijayendra cited Chief Electoral Officer V.
Anbukumar's figure of 91,278 Form-7 objections to challenge Shivakumar's claim of 5,000–10,000 AHINDA voter deletions per constituency.
He stressed that Anbukumar and all Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are appointed by the state government , not the Centre or PM Narendra Modi .
Form-7 is a statutory right available to all political parties under the electoral process, Vijayendra argued.
BJP Booth Level Agents-2 submitted the Form-7 applications, which are subject to scrutiny by state-appointed BLOs before any voter deletion can occur.
Vijayendra demanded Shivakumar reconcile his allegations with official data before accusing the BJP and JD(S) of conspiring to manipulate electoral rolls.
Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party president B.Y. Vijayendra on Tuesday, 6 October 2026, launched a sharp counter-offensive against Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, accusing the Congress government of spreading propaganda over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and the Form-7 electoral process. Vijayendra alleged that Shivakumar was deliberately stoking confusion and anarchy by staging what he called a 'drama' before the Election Commission in Bengaluru.
BJP Challenges Shivakumar's Voter-Deletion Claims
Addressing the media, Vijayendra directly questioned the Chief Minister's allegation that a coordinated conspiracy was under way to delete 5,000 to 10,000 AHINDA voters from electoral rolls in every Assembly constituency across Karnataka. He pointed to a statement by Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer V. Anbukumar — which put the total number of Form-7 objections submitted at 91,278 — and argued that the figure flatly contradicted Shivakumar's constituency-level claims.
'Yesterday, Anbukumar stated that around 91,278 objections had been submitted. But the Chief Minister claims that in every Assembly constituency, there is an attempt to remove 5,000 voters. How can these two claims be reconciled?' Vijayendra asked.
Key Argument: Officers Appointed by the State, Not Centre
Vijayendra took aim at the implied suggestion that the BJP or the Central government was manipulating the electoral revision process. He noted that Chief Electoral Officer Anbukumar was appointed by the state government, not by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Similarly, the Booth Level Officers (BLOs) responsible for scrutinising Form-7 applications are employees of the state government, not the Centre, he said.
'Who is Anbukumar? He is an officer appointed by the state government. He is not appointed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi,' Vijayendra said, seeking to undercut the basis of the Congress's accusations.
Form-7 Is a Legal Right, Says Vijayendra
The BJP state president defended the party's use of Form-7, describing it as a statutory right conferred on every political party under the electoral process. He said BJP Booth Level Agents-2 had been submitting Form-7 applications in the normal course, and that these applications would subsequently be reviewed by BLOs — state government officials — before any action is taken.
'Form-7 is a legal right given by the Election Commission. Every political party has been given this right,' Vijayendra said. He accused Shivakumar of deliberately politicising a standard electoral mechanism and of making baseless allegations against the BJP and Janata Dal (Secular).
BJP Demands Accountability from the Chief Minister
Vijayendra called on Shivakumar to first reconcile the gap between his own claims and the official figures furnished by the Chief Electoral Officer, before levelling charges at opposition parties. He said the Chief Minister's dharna before the State Election Commission amounted to theatrics rather than legitimate grievance. Notably, this dispute comes amid heightened political tension in Karnataka ahead of upcoming local body elections, with both the ruling Congress and the opposition BJP trading accusations over the integrity of electoral rolls. How the Election Commission responds to formal complaints from both sides is expected to shape the next phase of this controversy.
Point of View
Vijayendra forces the Congress to either dispute its own appointee or walk back the scale of its allegations. The AHINDA voter-deletion narrative is politically potent in Karnataka — these communities form a crucial Congress constituency — but if the numbers don't hold up to scrutiny, the claim risks backfiring ahead of local body elections. What is missing from both sides is an independent audit of the Form-7 objections: how many are frivolous, how many are legitimate, and what the BLO approval rate actually is. That granular data, not competing political press conferences, would settle the question.
NationPress
6 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Form-7 controversy in Karnataka?
Form-7 is a statutory electoral form through which individuals or parties can object to a voter's inclusion in the electoral rolls. The controversy centres on allegations by Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar that the BJP filed Form-7 objections to target and delete 5,000 to 10,000 AHINDA voters in each Assembly constituency during the Special Intensive Revision process. The BJP contests these figures, citing the Chief Electoral Officer's data of 91,278 total objections statewide.
Who is V. Anbukumar and why is he relevant to this dispute?
V. Anbukumar is Karnataka's Chief Electoral Officer, the senior official overseeing the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. BJP president Vijayendra cited Anbukumar's statement that 91,278 Form-7 objections had been submitted, using it to contradict Shivakumar's claim of mass deletions per constituency. Vijayendra also stressed that Anbukumar was appointed by the state government, not the Centre.
What is the AHINDA voter base and why does it matter politically?
AHINDA is a Kannada acronym referring to backward communities, minorities, and Dalits — a socio-political grouping that forms a key electoral base for the Congress in Karnataka. Allegations of targeted deletion of AHINDA voters are politically explosive because they directly threaten the Congress's vote bank, making the claim significant in the run-up to local body elections.
Is Form-7 filing by the BJP illegal or unusual?
No. According to Vijayendra, Form-7 is a legal right extended by the Election Commission to all registered political parties. Applications submitted by BJP's Booth Level Agents-2 are subsequently reviewed and scrutinised by Booth Level Officers — state government employees — before any decision on voter deletion is made.
What happens next in the Karnataka electoral rolls dispute?
The Election Commission is expected to review formal complaints from both sides. How the Commission and the Chief Electoral Officer respond to the competing claims will determine the next phase of the controversy, particularly ahead of local body elections in Karnataka.
