CEO Defends Voter List Revision as 35 Bengaluru Booth Officers Receive Showcause Notices

On Wednesday, Karnataka's Chief Electoral Officer V Anbukumar defended the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list and announced that showcause notices had been issued to around 35 booth-level officers (BLOs). The announcement followed formal complaints filed on Tuesday by the BJP and JD(S) alleging irregularities in the process, specifically in Bengaluru South.

During a press conference on Wednesday, Anbukumar assured the public that the voter list revision is being conducted in accordance with the law and directions from the Election Commission of India (ECI). He stated that any complaints regarding the distribution of voter forms in groups would be legally scrutinized.

The opposition parties, BJP and JD(S), had approached the ECI raising concerns about the fairness of the process. They alleged that BLOs belonging to a particular religion were being deployed in minority-dominated areas. Additionally, Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H D Kumaraswamy alleged that BLOs were distributing SIR forms en masse in a location within the Bengaluru South district.

In response to reports that BLOs were failing to make house visits, Anbukumar confirmed that the ECI had issued showcause notices to approximately 35 officers. He reiterated that BLOs are required to conduct house-to-house visits to deliver forms directly to voters.

State-wide data showed that BLOs distributed forms to 80.85 per cent of the 5.54 crore mapped voters during the first nine days of the exercise. However, the distribution rates were significantly lower within the Greater Bengaluru Authority limits.

In BBMP South, only 44.18 per cent of voters received enumeration forms. The rates were 46.04 per cent in Bangalore Urban, 48.25 per cent in BBMP North, and 48.54 per cent in BBMP Central. Anbukumar attributed the lower rates to a delayed start in Bengaluru and the unavailability of residents during visits due to varying working hours. He added that measures are underway to address these issues.