SIR row: Shivakumar alleges BJP, JD(S) burned over 1 lakh Form-7 voter deletion forms
Synopsis
Karnataka CM Shivakumar has levelled a serious allegation: that BJP and JD(S) workers destroyed over one lakh voter deletion forms after FIRs were registered — a claim that, if proven, would represent an extraordinary attempt to cover up bulk electoral roll manipulation during the state's ongoing Special Intensive Revision. With 91,278 Form-7 applications already filed and the Election Commission engaged, the controversy is fast becoming Karnataka's defining pre-election flashpoint.
Key Takeaways
Shivakumar alleged on 6 October 2026 that BJP and JD(S) workers forcibly snatched and burned over one lakh Form-7 voter deletion applications from BLOs.
He described the mass submission and withdrawal of forms as a 'big criminal conspiracy' to manipulate electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) .
As of 4 October 2026 , Karnataka had received 91,278 Form-7 applications ; the Chief Electoral Officer confirmed no voter has been deleted so far.
Shivakumar alleged some Form-7 forms falsely declared living persons as dead , and many applicants were unaware of what they were signing.
BJP has rejected the allegations, stating bulk Form-7 submission is permissible and verification is the election officials' responsibility.
The Election Commission has permitted an expanded Form-6 drive to protect eligible voters who may have been left off the rolls.
Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Tuesday, 6 October 2026, alleged that workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal (Secular) (JD(S)) forcibly snatched and burned more than one lakh Form-7 voter deletion applications from Booth Level Officers (BLOs) across the state, following the registration of FIRs. Addressing reporters in Bengaluru, Shivakumar described the coordinated mass submission and subsequent withdrawal of the forms as a 'big criminal conspiracy' aimed at manipulating Karnataka's electoral rolls during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.
What Shivakumar Alleged
The Chief Minister claimed that opposition workers had been handed between 500 and 3,000 Form-7 applications each at the constituency level, with some workers allegedly communicating to him the details of how the operation was carried out. He said that after he visited the Election Commission, workers allegedly returned to BLOs and forcibly retrieved the bulk-submitted forms.
'They have burnt them. All these things happened. In all places they have collected back more than a lakh such forms, threatening the BLOs,' Shivakumar alleged. He further claimed that some Form-7 applications had falsely declared living persons as dead, and that certain applicants were unaware of what they were signing.
'Workers should tell who gave them the forms. Investigation is required,' the Chief Minister stated, demanding that opposition cadres disclose the source of the pre-filled forms and the voter data used in them.
Key Developments in the SIR Process
As of 4 October 2026, Karnataka had received 91,278 Form-7 applications during the SIR process. Chief Electoral Officer V. Anbukkumar clarified that no voter has been deleted based on Form-7 objections so far, and that each application will be examined according to due procedure — including a mandatory notice, hearing, and document verification by the concerned Electoral Registration Officer before any name is struck off.
The CEO had earlier directed election officials to initiate action against applicants found to have knowingly made false declarations, after inquiry and in accordance with prescribed procedure, following Shivakumar's protest at the Chief Electoral Officer's office in the days preceding Tuesday's press address.
Political and Constitutional Context
Shivakumar invoked the earlier Chilume controversy — a previous alleged irregularity involving bulk voter manipulation — and claimed that the Opposition had a pattern of creating 'a ruckus' around electoral processes. He said Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had identified what he described as an alleged conspiracy in the Aland and Mahadevapura Assembly constituencies.
Shivakumar also claimed that in Bhalki and Babaleshwar Assembly segments, BJP leaders had admitted submitting Form-7 applications and had sought that action not be taken against them. He said similar developments had been reported from Belagavi and Mysuru.
Notably, he defended the intervention of Rahul Gandhi in the SIR issue, saying the Leader of the Opposition had a constitutional duty to raise concerns relating to voters' rights. 'The SIR issue is not our voice; it is the voice of people,' he said.
The BJP's Response
BJP leaders have rejected the allegations outright, maintaining that submitting Form-7 applications in bulk is not prohibited under election rules, and that the responsibility for verifying them lies with election officials — not the applicants. The party has not independently addressed the specific allegation of forms being burned or snatched from BLOs.
What Comes Next
Shivakumar said the state government had sought clarification from the Election Commission on measures to protect eligible voters whose names may have been left out of the rolls. According to him, the Commission has permitted an expanded drive for eligible voters to submit Form-6 applications, directing officials to refer to old electoral rolls while examining such cases. The Chief Minister reiterated that the government would cooperate with the SIR process but would resist any attempt to delete genuine voters' names without following prescribed procedure. With FIRs already registered and the Election Commission engaged, the dispute is likely to intensify in the weeks ahead.
Point of View
But it arrives without independent verification. The Chief Electoral Officer's own data shows 91,278 applications received, and he has confirmed that no voter has been deleted; the process has guardrails. What the row does reveal, however, is how the SIR process — designed as a routine electoral rolls clean-up — has become a high-stakes political battleground in Karnataka ahead of local body elections. The Chilume controversy was never fully resolved, and the Congress risks being seen as playing defence rather than presenting an affirmative case for clean rolls. Meanwhile, the BJP's defence that bulk Form-7 submission is 'not prohibited' sidesteps the more uncomfortable question: who sourced and distributed pre-filled forms with voter data to hundreds of workers across dozens of constituencies?
NationPress
6 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Karnataka SIR Form-7 controversy about?
The controversy centres on allegations that BJP and JD(S) workers submitted over one lakh Form-7 voter deletion applications in bulk during Karnataka's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, and subsequently snatched and burned those forms from Booth Level Officers after FIRs were registered. Karnataka CM D.K. Shivakumar has called it a criminal conspiracy to manipulate the voter list.
What is Form-7 and what does it do?
Form-7 is an objection form under India's electoral rules that allows a person to request the deletion of a voter's name from the electoral roll. Filing a Form-7 does not automatically remove a voter; the Electoral Registration Officer must issue a notice, conduct a hearing, and verify documents before any deletion is made.
Has any voter actually been deleted because of these Form-7 applications?
No. Chief Electoral Officer V. Anbukkumar confirmed that no voter has been deleted based on Form-7 objections so far. As of 4 October 2026, Karnataka had received 91,278 Form-7 applications, all of which are to be examined through the prescribed legal process before any action is taken.
What is the BJP's position on the allegations?
BJP leaders have rejected Shivakumar's allegations, asserting that submitting Form-7 applications in bulk is not prohibited under election rules and that verification is the sole responsibility of election officials. The party has not specifically addressed the allegation that forms were snatched or burned.
What action has the Election Commission taken so far?
Following Shivakumar's protest at the Chief Electoral Officer's office, the CEO directed officials to initiate action against applicants who knowingly made false declarations, after proper inquiry. The Commission has also permitted an expanded Form-6 drive so eligible voters can ensure their names remain on the rolls, directing officials to refer to old electoral rolls while processing such cases.
