Over 4,000 Karnataka voter deletions sought through bulk applications

More than 4,000 applications seeking deletion of voter names have been filed across several Karnataka Assembly constituencies during the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, according to statutory Form-10 data. The applications, submitted through Form-7, largely targeted Muslim voters. In Babaleshwar alone, 1,373 applications were received on September 22, with 1,363 submitted by 10 people.

The constituency is represented by Congress Minister M.B. Patil. One elector, Huchappa Ganiger, filed 493 applications across about 30 polling stations.

Another, Govindaraj Mundur, filed 413 applications across 33 polling stations. The stated reason in the applications was that voters were absent or had permanently shifted. A similar pattern was reported in Bhalki, where at least 30 people filed objections against more than 1,700 names on September 23.

In Basavakalyan, one elector filed 32 of 37 applications received that day, all against Muslim voters at a single polling station. Basavakalyan and Belthangady are represented by BJP legislators. The report also raised questions about the preparation of some forms.

In several applications, voter details appeared to have been printed while objectors’ names were handwritten. One person whose name appeared as an objector told The Hindu that he was not the named individual. Officials in Bidar said some applications had been submitted offline and might not yet have been digitised.

Officials in Bidar and Vijayapura said every objection would be examined before an eligible voter could be removed. They also warned that filing claims without valid grounds could attract punishment if wrongdoing were established.