Bommai accuses Congress of obstructing electoral-roll revision

BJP leader and MP Basavaraj Bommai has accused Congress leaders of attempting to obstruct the Election Commission of India’s Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Karnataka. Speaking to reporters in Haveri, Bommai alleged that Congress wanted to protect what he described as bogus voters. He cited claims of people voting in more than one place, deceased people’s names being used and shifted voters being impersonated.

Bommai said the revision process was intended to clean up the electoral rolls. He alleged that Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar’s protest outside the Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer’s office was designed to create confusion and delay the exercise.

He said the process had initially been proceeding smoothly and that the draft electoral roll was scheduled to be released on October 8. Bommai also said the state government did not have direct authority under the law to file cases against people raising objections, arguing that responsibility for preparing and updating the rolls rested with Election Commission officials. His comments followed opposition to the revision from Congress leaders.

Bommai rejected the demand by AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge for cancellation of elections held after the revision, saying Congress leaders were making excuses for electoral defeats. He also responded to calls for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to be removed. Bommai accused Congress and its alliance partners of seeking to provoke unrest, while saying the public would not accept such efforts.

The supplied report contains Bommai’s allegations and responses but does not include a detailed reply from Congress or the Election Commission. The date given for the report is October 4, 2026, and it identifies the remarks as having been made on Sunday.