Karnataka CM Shivakumar writes to EC over SIR electoral roll revision, flags 1.08 crore at-risk voters
Synopsis
Over 1.08 crore Karnataka voters — nearly one in five — have been flagged under the ASDDO category in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, prompting Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar to write directly to the Chief Election Commissioner. His core argument: compressed timelines and missed house visits are about to erase genuine voters, not just ineligible ones.
Key Takeaways
Shivakumar wrote to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on 25 August seeking an extension of the SIR claims and objections period.
Of Karnataka's 5.54 crore voters, nearly 1.08 crore have been placed in the ASDDO category; 46.88 lakh are in Bengaluru alone.
Around 43.8 lakh voters face verification notices for logical discrepancies or absence of a link to the 2002 electoral roll .
Shivakumar demanded a minimum of 3–4 weeks for voters to respond to notices, calling the current 45-day combined window 'highly compressed'.
The CM also sought more Additional EROs and Deputy Electoral Officers in high-ASDDO districts, and full implementation of Ward Committee and Gram Sabha meetings.
The Karnataka government offered full logistical support to the ECI for the revision exercise.
Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Tuesday, 25 August wrote to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, urging the Election Commission of India (ECI) to extend the claims and objections period during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state. Shivakumar warned that compressed timelines could result in genuine voters being stripped of their franchise.
Scale of the Problem
The Chief Minister cited figures from the SIR exercise that he described as warranting serious attention. Of Karnataka's 5.54 crore registered voters, nearly 1.08 crore have been placed under the Absent, Shifted, Dead, Duplicate and Others (ASDDO) category. In Bengaluru alone, 46.88 lakh electors have been flagged under this classification — a figure Shivakumar called particularly alarming given the city's large migrant and working population.
Following the publication of the draft electoral roll on 24 August, verification notices are expected to be issued to approximately 43.8 lakh voters for 'logical discrepancies' or for lacking a traceable link to the 2002 electoral roll.
Why Genuine Voters Could Lose Their Vote
Shivakumar argued that many voters categorised as 'Absent' are not ineligible — they were simply away from home for work, health, or other legitimate reasons when Booth Level Officers (BLOs) conducted house-to-house visits. Similarly, voters who had shifted to a new address but were not given a chance to submit enumeration forms at their new residence risk having their names deleted from rolls at their previous address.
'Mobility should not translate into disenfranchisement,' Shivakumar said, stressing that the concern was especially acute for poorer and marginalised citizens who move frequently for livelihood and may lack ready access to eligibility documents.
Four Demands Placed Before the ECI
The Chief Minister made four specific requests. First, he sought an extension of the claims and objections period, citing Paragraph 11.3.1 of the 2023 Manual, which permits the ECI to extend the prescribed period through notification. Second, he called for full implementation of prescribed procedure — including convening Ward Committee meetings in urban areas and Gram Sabhas in rural areas, with adequate advance publicity so that draft rolls could be read out and errors identified. Third, he urged that voters facing verification be given a minimum of three to four weeks to respond and furnish documents, noting the current proposed window of around 45 days for issuing notices and disposing of all related cases was 'highly compressed'. Fourth, he sought an increase in the number of Additional Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Deputy Electoral Officers in districts with high ASDDO counts and logical discrepancies.
Karnataka Government's Offer of Support
Shivakumar assured the Commission that the state government was prepared to provide full logistical assistance — including mobilising local administration for Gram Sabha and Ward Committee meetings, conducting widespread publicity campaigns to reach affected voters, and extending operational support to election machinery on the ground.
'The objective must be an electoral roll that the people of Karnataka can trust: one in which every eligible citizen is included, every ineligible entry is removed, and no citizen is deprived of the franchise merely for want of adequate time, information or opportunity to establish his or her eligibility,' Shivakumar said.
Political Context and What Comes Next
The SIR exercise has drawn scrutiny across states, with opposition parties raising concerns about large-scale deletions from electoral rolls. Karnataka, where the Indian National Congress (Congress) is in power, has been particularly vocal. The ECI has so far appointed Additional EROs to handle the expected surge in objections, but Shivakumar argued that available manpower remains insufficient given the volume of cases and the tight timeline. The Commission's response to the letter is awaited.
Point of View
The methodology — not just the timeline — deserves scrutiny. The 2002 electoral roll linkage requirement is particularly blunt as a filter; it penalises mobility, which disproportionately affects urban migrants and the rural poor — precisely the constituencies Congress counts on. The ECI's credibility rests on its ability to distinguish between cleaning rolls and shrinking them. Its response to this letter will be watched closely by opposition parties in every state where SIR is underway.
NationPress
25 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Karnataka?
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is an exercise conducted by the Election Commission of India to update and clean up electoral rolls by identifying voters who are absent, shifted, deceased, or duplicated — collectively categorised as ASDDO. In Karnataka, the draft revised roll was published on 24 August 2025, triggering a claims and objections period during which voters can contest deletions or seek fresh inclusion.
Why is CM Shivakumar concerned about the SIR process?
Shivakumar is concerned that nearly 1.08 crore of Karnataka's 5.54 crore voters have been placed in the ASDDO category, and that the compressed timeline for verification could prevent genuine voters — particularly migrants, the elderly, and marginalised citizens — from establishing their eligibility in time. He argues that being away from home during a BLO visit should not automatically result in deletion from the electoral roll.
What specific changes has Shivakumar asked the Election Commission to make?
He has made four demands: extend the claims and objections period, ensure Ward Committee and Gram Sabha meetings are held with adequate publicity, give voters a minimum of 3–4 weeks to respond to verification notices, and increase the number of Additional Electoral Registration Officers in high-ASDDO districts. He cited Paragraph 11.3.1 of the 2023 ECI Manual, which allows the Commission to extend prescribed periods through notification.
How many Bengaluru voters are at risk of being removed from the electoral roll?
According to Shivakumar's letter, 46.88 lakh electors in Bengaluru alone have been placed under the ASDDO category. This is a significant share of the city's electorate and reflects the scale of the challenge posed by urban mobility and frequent address changes.
What happens if a voter's name is deleted from the electoral roll?
A voter whose name is deleted cannot cast a ballot in any election held using that roll. Deleted voters must file a fresh inclusion claim using Form-6 and provide supporting documents. Shivakumar has argued that many affected voters — especially migrants and daily-wage workers — may not have ready access to the required documents or sufficient time to file claims within the current window.
