Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday, June 28, 2026, issued a sharp warning to Congress legislators, leaders, and workers, urging them to remain vigilant during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which he alleged is being used to systematically delete votes of the poor, farmers, labourers, and minorities who support the Congress party.

Context

Addressing a SIR Awareness Convention in Mysuru, Siddaramaiah stated that the SIR process — running from June 30 to July 29 — is not new, noting that the Election Commission of India has revised voter lists since the first general election in 1952. However, he argued that the Commission has no constitutional authority to delete the names of eligible voters, and must function strictly within constitutional bounds.

The Chief Minister alleged that since 2014, what he called 'vote betrayal' (matha droha) has been taking place, and that the current SIR exercise is an attempt to reverse the 2024 general election outcome, in which the BJP won 240 seats, down from 303 seats in 2019.

Policy Backdrop

Siddaramaiah claimed that in the country of 141 crore people, there are 96 crore registered voters, and that deleting even 4,000 to 5,000 votes in constituencies won by narrow margins of 1,000 to 5,000 votes could swing election results. He alleged that voter list revisions in 13 states and 3 Union Territories had already affected outcomes in Haryana, West Bengal, and Maharashtra, while Kerala was cited as an exception where such alleged manipulation did not succeed.

He further alleged that BJP received only 36 per cent of the national vote in the last general election, while 64 per cent of voters voted against the party. He argued that removing even 10 per cent of votes from that 64 per cent bloc would have an outsized impact on seat outcomes.

Stakeholders and Impact

The Chief Minister directed all sitting and former MLAs, MPs, and defeated candidates of the Congress party to coordinate with Booth Level Officers (BLOs), conduct door-to-door visits, and ensure that at least two local voters are appointed as representatives per booth during the SIR window. He stressed that enumeration forms must be filled correctly and that acknowledgement receipts must be obtained.

Siddaramaiah also referenced RSS founder Hedgewar, alleging that associates were sent to Italy and Germany to study authoritarian systems, and questioned whether leaders of the Sangh Parivar participated in India's freedom struggle. He also referred to Savarkar, alleging he sought clemency from British authorities. He appealed to the Shudra community not to align with the BJP, arguing that social justice threatened the party's interests. He also acknowledged that BJP came to power in Karnataka twice through what he termed 'Operation Kamala'.

What's Next

Siddaramaiah, noting that his own political career is nearing its end, urged younger Congress functionaries to treat July 2026 as a critical month and to prioritise SIR monitoring above all other party work. He named Sudarshan as the party's designated coordinator touring the state for voter awareness. The Chief Minister warned that if the party fails to act during this window, the consequences for its electoral future would be severe, and that losing democracy once could mean returning to what he called 'slavery.'

The Congress party's SIR awareness workshops across Karnataka signal that the party intends to contest any voter deletions through both ground mobilisation and political pressure on the Election Commission in the weeks ahead.