Karnataka SIR: Chief Electoral Officer says ‘no bulk deletion’ of voters
As per the final list after SIR, the state’s total electorate is 4,55,00,011. The final count includes 2,25,83,107 male voters, 2,29,14,063 female voters, and 2,841 registered under the third gender category.
Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer V Anbukkumar on Tuesday (October 27) said “no bulk deletion” has happened in the state after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), as he released the final electoral roll in Bengaluru.
Speaking exclusively with The Federal, Anbukkumar dismissed allegations of large-scale voter deletions through Form 7 as “completely false”.
Addressing claims of arbitrary exclusions, he maintained that no bulk deletions took place anywhere in the state and that every removal followed due legal process.
Also read: Karnataka SIR final list: 99.32 lakh names deleted; women outnumber men voters
"Whatever deletion has happened, it is only after serving the notice and conducting hearings of the voters concerned, followed by the passing of a speaking order," Anbukkumar told The Federal. "No bulk deletion has happened in Karnataka, that I assure you of."
Final list of Karnataka electorate
As per the final list after SIR, the state’s total electorate is 4,55,00,011. The final count includes 2,25,83,107 male voters, 2,29,14,063 female voters, and 2,841 registered under the third gender category. After the exercise, 99.3 lakh electors were marked and kept out of the final publication, and only 361 appeals have been filed so far before Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), with zero second appeals reaching his desk.
As nationwide protests intensify with critics calling the SIR an undemocratic exercise that threatens the fundamental right to vote, Anbukkumar defended the exercise and said "no comments" on the political outcry.
He highlighted that the minuscule number of official challenges underscores the accuracy of the ground operations.
"Suppose somebody is aggrieved by the order, they can go and appeal. In Karnataka, out of nearly a crore marked, only 361 appeals have been filed before the concerned EROs, and the second appeal before the CEO is nil. This clearly shows that grievances are very low and our officers have done their job right," he said.
How to apply for inclusion in voter list
Dismissing allegations of “vote chori” by the Congress, the CEO stressed that the revision was conducted with total transparency.
He pointed out that exhaustive data—including detailed lists of absentees, shifted voters, and duplicate entries—were published on the official portal and shared directly with all recognised political parties. "Our intention is to ensure that every single eligible citizen is included in the electoral roll," he said.
Addressing the path forward for excluded electors, Anbukkumar clarified that citizens left out due to documentation flaws can easily reapply. While those disqualified for holding duplicate entries or foreign citizenship cannot apply, genuine voters missing from the rolls can submit fresh applications.
"An eligible voter can always apply for inclusion, provided they make sure they are not enrolled anywhere else in India," he explained.
Noting that voter registration is an ongoing process, the CEO urged all eligible citizens aged 18 and above to enrol by submitting Form 6 online or via the ECINET mobile application.
