Yediyurappa warns of statewide protests over FIRs on Form 7 row in Karnataka
Synopsis
Former Karnataka CM Yediyurappa has drawn a hard line: withdraw the FIRs against BJP workers over bulk Form 7 voter-deletion applications, or face statewide protests. With CM Shivakumar having already staged a dharna at the Chief Electoral Officer's office and the Election Commission assuring action, the Form 7 row is fast becoming a full-blown political confrontation over electoral integrity in Karnataka.
Key Takeaways
Yediyurappa warned of statewide protests on 3 October if FIRs against BJP workers over bulk Form 7 submissions are not withdrawn.
Saleem in Bengaluru and formally demanded withdrawal of all FIRs against party workers.
Form 7 is an Election Commission of India form used to request deletion of a name from the electoral roll; bulk pre-filled submissions between 22–24 September triggered the controversy.
Shivakumar had staged a dharna at the Chief Electoral Officer's office, alleging a conspiracy to delete voters from minority, SC, ST, and OBC communities.
The Election Commission has reportedly assured action against those who knowingly file false electoral objections.
BJP clarified it is not demanding automatic acceptance of all Form 7 applications — only that workers be spared police harassment.
Former Karnataka Chief Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party Central Parliamentary Committee member B.S. Yediyurappa on Saturday, 3 October issued a sharp warning of statewide protests if the FIRs registered against BJP workers for submitting bulk Form 7 applications were not withdrawn. The warning came after Yediyurappa personally submitted a representation to Director General and Inspector General of Police (DG-IGP) M.A. Saleem in Bengaluru, demanding the withdrawal of all such cases.
What the Form 7 Row Is About
Form 7 is an official Election Commission of India (ECI) form used to request the deletion of a name from the electoral roll. At the centre of the dispute are allegations that BJP workers submitted bulk, pre-filled Form 7 applications during the claims and objections period — particularly between 22 and 24 September — allegedly targeting voters from minority communities, Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC).
The state government and Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar have maintained that the bulk submissions amount to a conspiracy to illegally delete genuine voters from the electoral rolls. The BJP, however, insists that its workers exercised a legitimate democratic right in filing the applications.
Yediyurappa's Warning to the Government
Speaking to reporters after his meeting with the DG-IGP, Yediyurappa accused the state government of making false allegations and using the police machinery to harass party workers. He demanded that the FIRs be dropped with immediate effect.
'Listening to the words of the Chief Minister, you are making false allegations and harassing our party workers. This simply cannot be tolerated. This must stop right here, today. If not, we are ready to stage protests across the entire state,' Yediyurappa said.
He also clarified that the BJP was not demanding unconditional acceptance of every Form 7 application submitted by its workers. 'If what we have submitted is proper, let them accept it; if not, let them reject it. We are not forcing anything. Other than that, we will not tolerate this kind of harassment,' he said.
BJP's Allegation: Police Acting Under Political Pressure
Yediyurappa alleged that the police were acting under pressure from the ruling Congress government, specifically following Chief Minister Shivakumar's dharna and satyagraha outside the Chief Electoral Officer's office in Bengaluru on Thursday.
'After the Chief Minister himself came, sat in dharna and staged a satyagraha, exerting pressure on the police and declaring that they would not leave, the police officials are now working to appease the government and the Chief Minister,' Yediyurappa claimed.
He said the BJP had formally conveyed its demand to the DG-IGP. 'We have conveyed and demanded to the DGP that this must stop today. We demand that all of this must come to an end from this very minute,' he said.
Shivakumar's Stand and the ECI Response
Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar had on Thursday staged a dharna at the Chief Electoral Officer's office and submitted a representation to State Chief Electoral Officer Anbukumar, urging registration of a criminal case against those allegedly involved in conspiring to delete genuine voters through pre-filled Form 7 applications.
In his letter, Shivakumar stated: 'As the Chief Minister of Karnataka it is my bounden duty to protect the rights of every eligible voter in a state and to ensure that the electoral revision process is conducted in a free, fair, transparent and legally compliant manner.'
He added that a large number of Form 7 objections were filed in bulk, particularly during the last few days of the claims and objections period, including on 22nd, 23rd and 24th September. On Thursday night, Shivakumar said the Election Commission had assured action against those who knowingly file false claims or objections in electoral forms.
What Happens Next
With the BJP threatening state-wide protests and the Congress government maintaining its position, the Form 7 dispute is set to escalate into a significant political flashpoint ahead of upcoming electoral cycles in Karnataka. The Election Commission of India's response to Chief Minister Shivakumar's representation — and whether the police withdraw the FIRs — will determine the next move. Both sides are now looking to the ECI and the DG-IGP's office to either validate or defuse their respective claims.
Point of View
The BJP framing police action as partisan intimidation. What is missing from both camps is a sober accounting of the actual applications: how many were filed, how many were valid, and how many names were genuinely at risk. The ECI, not the DG-IGP's office, is the appropriate arbiter here — and the Commission's response will be the real test of institutional independence in a politically charged state.
NationPress
3 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Yediyurappa threaten statewide protests in Karnataka?
Yediyurappa threatened statewide protests because FIRs were registered against BJP workers who submitted bulk Form 7 applications seeking deletion of names from the electoral roll. He demanded that the FIRs be withdrawn immediately, alleging that the police were acting under political pressure from the Congress-led state government.
What is Form 7 and why is it controversial in Karnataka?
Form 7 is an official Election Commission of India form used to request the deletion of a name from the electoral roll. It became controversial after BJP workers allegedly submitted a large number of pre-filled Form 7 applications in bulk between 22 and 24 September, which the Congress government alleged was a conspiracy to delete eligible voters from minority, SC, ST, and OBC communities.
What did CM D.K. Shivakumar do in response to the bulk Form 7 submissions?
Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar staged a dharna and satyagraha at the Chief Electoral Officer's office in Bengaluru on Thursday, submitting a representation to State Chief Electoral Officer Anbukumar urging him to register a criminal case against those behind the alleged conspiracy. The Election Commission subsequently assured action against anyone found to have knowingly filed false objections.
What has the BJP said about the FIRs against its workers?
The BJP, through Yediyurappa, maintained that its workers only exercised a legitimate right in submitting Form 7 applications. The party clarified it is not demanding unconditional acceptance of all applications — only that workers not be subjected to police harassment, and that applications be assessed on their merits.
Who is M.A. Saleem and what role is he playing in this controversy?
M.A. Saleem is the Director General and Inspector General of Police (DG-IGP) of Karnataka. Yediyurappa met Saleem on 3 October to formally demand the withdrawal of FIRs registered against BJP workers, making the DG-IGP's office the immediate point of contact in the escalating standoff between the BJP and the state government.
