NDA alleges Karnataka CEO under pressure over SIR, seeks protection for Form-7 filers
Synopsis
Senior NDA leaders — including two Union Ministers and the Leader of the Opposition — marched into Karnataka's Chief Electoral Officer's office to allege that the Congress government is weaponising the police to intimidate Form-7 objectors and pressure the CEO overseeing the electoral roll revision process. With FIRs reportedly filed in five districts and a sitting Chief Minister protesting outside the CEO's office, the battle over Karnataka's voter rolls has turned into a full-blown constitutional confrontation.
Key Takeaways
An NDA delegation led by Union Minister H.D.
Kumaraswamy submitted a complaint to Karnataka CEO V.
Anbukumar on 5 October 2026 over the SIR process.
The delegation alleged the state Congress government exerted undue influence on the CEO and misused police to register FIRs against Form-7 objectors.
FIRs reportedly registered in Bhalki (Bidar) , Belagavi , Vyalikaval (Bengaluru) , Ballari , and Narasimharaja (Mysuru) .
The NDA cited an Election Commission of India communication dated 16 January 2026 confirming that bulk Form-7 filings are legally permissible.
Shivakumar 's protest at the CEO's office on 1 October 2026 , held despite prohibitory orders, was flagged as undue pressure on the election authority.
The NDA demanded that the SIR proceed independently, with police directed not to register unwarranted cases against legitimate objectors.
A delegation of National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leaders on Monday, 5 October 2026, alleged that Karnataka's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) appeared to have come under pressure from the state government over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, and formally sought protection for individuals and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers who have filed Form-7 objections. The delegation submitted a written complaint to Chief Electoral Officer V. Anbukumar in Bengaluru, alleging undue interference by the ruling Congress government in a constitutionally mandated process.
Who Led the Delegation and What Was Submitted
The delegation was led by Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, alongside Union Minister of State Shobha Karandlaje, former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R. Ashoka, and Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy. Together, they submitted a complaint urging the CEO to direct Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs), and District Magistrates to safeguard the statutory rights of Form-7 applicants.
The delegation also sought directions to the Karnataka Police — through the Director General and Inspector General of Police — to refrain from registering what they described as false or unwarranted First Information Reports (FIRs) against individuals, including BJP workers, who had filed Form-7 objections.
The Core Allegation: Police Misuse and Political Pressure
The NDA leaders alleged that the state government was misusing police machinery by registering criminal cases — including charges of cheating, forgery, intimidation, and breach of peace — against individuals who had merely exercised their statutory right to file Form-7 objections. They argued that such actions created fear and apprehension among legitimate objectors.
The submission further alleged that police were attempting to bypass the non-cognisable nature of Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, by registering serious offences without due application of mind, allegedly under political pressure. Specific locations where FIRs were reportedly registered include Bhalki in Bidar, Market Area in Belagavi, Vyalikaval in Bengaluru, Ballari, and Narasimharaja in Mysuru.
Bulk Form-7 Filing: The Legal Position
The NDA leaders maintained that there is no legal bar on filing Form-7 applications in bulk, citing an Election Commission of India (ECI) communication dated 16 January 2026 in support of their position. 'There exists a provision to file applications in bulk for identifying corrections to be carried out in the draft electoral rolls. Hence, there is no bar on filing bulk applications through Form-7,' the submission stated.
They underscored that filing objections to the inclusion of a voter's name in the electoral roll is a legitimate statutory right under Sections 16 to 20 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and that once a Form-7 objection is filed, the ERO or AERO must conduct a summary inquiry with both parties entitled to be heard.
NDA Objects to CM Shivakumar's Protest at CEO's Office
The delegation also raised objections to a protest staged by Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and other ministers on 1 October 2026 at the premises of the Chief Electoral Officer's office, alleging that it was held despite prohibitory orders in force and amounted to undue pressure on the functioning of the election authority.
The NDA leaders additionally sought clarification on how a private individual was permitted to file a complaint under the relevant provisions, under what authority the official document cited in that complaint was obtained, and what legal procedure was followed in acting upon it.
What the NDA Is Demanding
The delegation urged CEO V. Anbukumar to ensure that the SIR process is conducted independently, free from interference by the state government or its police machinery. They stated that the SIR process is currently at the stage of notice hearings and the filing of claims and objections, and called on the CEO to ensure that objectors are not subjected to intimidation. The dispute signals a deepening confrontation between the NDA and the ruling Congress government in Karnataka over the integrity of the state's electoral rolls — a battle likely to escalate as the revision process progresses.
Point of View
The delegation is attempting to frame bulk Form-7 filings as protected statutory activity, not partisan sabotage. The Congress counter-narrative — that bulk deletions target minority and marginalised voters — is not addressed in the NDA's submission, which is a notable omission. The image of a sitting Chief Minister protesting outside a constitutional authority's office is itself constitutionally awkward, regardless of which side one believes. If the Election Commission does not intervene decisively, this standoff risks undermining public confidence in the SIR process — which is precisely the kind of credibility damage that benefits no party and every spoiler.
NationPress
5 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Karnataka?
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is a periodic process mandated by the Election Commission of India to update and correct the electoral rolls by adding eligible voters and deleting ineligible ones. It is currently under way in Karnataka and has become the focus of a political dispute between the NDA and the ruling Congress government over Form-7 objection filings.
What is a Form-7 objection and is bulk filing allowed?
Form-7 is the statutory form used to object to the inclusion of a name in the electoral roll. The NDA delegation cited an Election Commission of India communication dated 16 January 2026 confirming that bulk filing of Form-7 applications is legally permissible, as it is a prescribed mechanism to identify corrections in draft electoral rolls.
Why is the NDA alleging misuse of police in the SIR process?
The NDA alleges that the Karnataka government directed police to register serious criminal cases — including charges of cheating, forgery, and breach of peace — against individuals who filed Form-7 objections, instead of following the non-cognisable procedure under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950. FIRs were reportedly registered in five districts including Bidar, Belagavi, Bengaluru, Ballari, and Mysuru.
What did Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar do that the NDA objected to?
Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and other ministers staged a protest at the Chief Electoral Officer's office on 1 October 2026, which the NDA alleges was held in violation of prohibitory orders and constituted undue pressure on a constitutional authority overseeing the electoral roll revision.
What action has the NDA sought from the Chief Electoral Officer?
The NDA delegation urged CEO V. Anbukumar to direct Electoral Registration Officers, AEROs, and District Magistrates to protect Form-7 objectors from harassment, and to instruct the Karnataka Police not to register unwarranted FIRs against individuals exercising their statutory right to file objections during the SIR process.
