SIR Form-7 row: Transparency under scanner amid community targeting allegations

Amid the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Karnataka, a major controversy has erupted around Form-7 applications. The filing of thousands of objections within a short period, allegations that a particular community has been systematically targeted, and instances of a handful of individuals submitting hundreds of applications have raised questions over the transparency of the entire electoral process.

Confusing Form-7 figures

At the heart of the ongoing Form-7 controversy in the SIR process is a discrepancy in the figures. According to the draft electoral roll published on August 24, a total of 67,307 Form-7 applications were filed in the state between June 16 and August 23. However, data released by the Chief Electoral Officer’s (CEO) office on September 25 mentions that only 61,130 applications had been received and processed. This difference of nearly 6,000 applications has now raised several questions. While a discrepancy in figures by itself cannot be termed an irregularity, the Election Commission (EC) has yet to clarify this apparent gap in the process.

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More strikingly, according to the September 25 data, the number of applications filed by third parties seeking deletion of someone else's name was zero. In other words, officials maintain that all 61,130 applications were filed by the voters themselves. However, the reality at the constituency level appears to be different. Local records indicate that Form-7 applications were filed on a large scale by third parties in several places. This contradiction has further fuelled the controversy.

Sudden deluge of applications

Developments in the Babaleshwar Assembly constituency in Vijayapura and the Bhalki constituency in Bidar have now raised eyebrows. As many as 3,909 Form-7 applications were filed in these two constituencies within just 48 hours. Of these, only 38 people submitted applications, seeking the deletion of 3,757 voters' names. Until then, the number of applications being filed in these constituencies each day was in single digits.

In Babaleshwar, just seven people filed 1,373 applications, while in Bhalki, 10 people filed 384 applications. How did such a large number of applications come to be filed by just a handful of people within such a short period? And where did they obtain the voters' precise data? There were no answers to these questions.

Were voters from a particular community targeted?

The most serious allegation emerging from the entire episode is that certain communities were systematically targeted. As per information, a majority of those targeted for deletion in the Babaleshwar and Bhalki constituencies belonged to the Muslim and 'Madar' (Dalit) communities. Of the 384 applications filed in Bhalki, it has been alleged that 341 were against Muslim voters.

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A letter written by BJP MLA Abhay Patil seeking verification of 2,598 suspected bogus voters in the Belagavi South constituency has now taken a political turn. The Congress has alleged that the MLA is attempting to delete minority votes. Patil, however, has clarified that he had only sought an investigation into the list of suspected voters provided by booth-level agents. In response, election officials have made it clear that there is no provision in law to delete all 2,598 names at once. Here, there is a need to look separately at the political allegations, the MLA's justification and the rules laid down by the Election Commission.

Pressure on BLO

A case in which a BLO (Booth Level Officer) was allegedly pressured to sign 200 Form-7 applications in Veerabhadranagar in Belagavi has reached the police. However, the district administration has clarified that no names were deleted on the basis of these applications. These developments have brought the 2023 Aland case back into focus. In December 2022, 6,018 applications had been filed in Aland. After verification, only 24 were found to be genuine, while the remaining 5,994 fake applications were rejected by the EC. This is perhaps the biggest indication that Form-7 can be misused.

The EC has clarified that a voter's name is not automatically deleted merely because someone files multiple Form-7 applications. Under the rules, before deleting a name, a notice must be mandatorily issued to the voter, who must be given an opportunity to present their case. More than 43.82 lakh notices have already been issued across the state and responses have been sought.

What is Form-7?

Form-7 is used to file an objection seeking the deletion of a person's name from the electoral roll. It can be used when a voter has died, has permanently moved elsewhere, or has been registered more than once in different constituencies. The form also carries a warning that legal action may be taken if a false declaration is made.

(This article was originally published in The Federal Karnataka)