After Bihar and Kerala, SIR set to begin in Karnataka

Following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Bihar, the Election Commission (EC) has now begun preparations to conduct the same in Karnataka. As we reported, Kerala also started the same exercise last week.

Providing key updates at a press conference in Bengaluru on Wednesday (September 17), Karnataka’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) V Anbukumar outlined the roadmap for the state’s upcoming voter list revision exercise.

SIR in state after 23 years

SIR was last conducted in Karnataka in 2002. Now, after 23 years, the EC has decided to undertake a fresh special revision. Booth-Level Officers (BLOs) will go door-to-door to verify voters’ identity cards. They will compare the 2002 special revision list with the 2025 draft electoral roll to identify discrepancies. During the household visits, BLOs will issue two forms per household — one of which will be signed and returned to the voter as acknowledgment.

Also read: SC on Bihar SIR: If illegality found, entire exercise would be annulled

If no one is available at a house, BLOs will make three separate visits and attempt to contact voters with the help of neighbours. In cases where the photograph on the voter ID is unclear, voters must submit a new photo. Every voter must mandatorily provide one specific document as requested by the EC. Once submitted during the current SIR in Karnataka, the document won’t be requested again during future revisions. Voters unavailable at home can also submit their applications online.

If a person’s name appears in two different locations, the new photo-scanning system will detect it and action will follow. In cases of duplicate applications by a single individual, a criminal case will be filed, Anbukumar warned.

If a voter’s name is missing from the electoral roll even after the SIR exercise, they can contest it using the signed form issued by the BLO.

Meeting with political parties

Anbukumar also confirmed that a meeting was held on Tuesday with representatives of all political parties in Karnataka to discuss the SIR exercise.

Also read: Kerala to begin voter roll revision, sparking fears of Bihar-like exclusion

The parties were briefed in detail about the process. They were instructed to appoint agents for each polling booth. Karnataka has a total of 55,000 polling booths, and about 18,000 BLOs will be deployed for SIR operation. School teachers and Anganwadi workers will serve as BLOs.

However, the CEO clarified that the exact start date for the process has not yet been decided. Currently, preparations are underway, and the state aims to complete all readiness activities by September 23. The actual SIR process will begin after the Central government issues the official notification.

In Bihar, which is headed towards Assembly elections, the EC has already launched the special revision. Draft rolls have been published across all 38 districts. Lakhs of fake voter names have been removed from the rolls. The final electoral roll will be published on September 30.

(This article was originally published in The Federal Karnataka)