Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Aug 1: In a major sweep during the ongoing Special Electoral Roll Revision (SIR) process across the state, approximately 15% of voters, amounting to a staggering 84,31,612 individuals, have been identified for deletion from the initial draft electoral roll.
Addressing a press conference, state chief electoral officer Anbukumar shared the details of the ongoing revision process.
He explained that the Election Commission undertook a rigorous door-to-door verification drive. During this physical verification, death certificates of deceased voters were collected, and signatures were obtained from the concerned residents. Consequently, these 84 lac names will not be considered in the first draft list, he clarified.
Among the 84,31,612 voters marked for exclusion, the highest number comprises individuals who have permanently shifted, accounting for a massive 51,74,968 voters. Furthermore, 14,99,799 deceased voters have been identified, while 11,61,231 people are missing or remain untraceable. The list of exclusions also includes 5,62,572 duplicate or fake entries, and 33,042 others who refused to sign the verification forms.
Bengaluru records highest missing voters
Expressing concern over the situation within the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) limits, officials revealed that out of the total 1.3 crore voters in the region, only 47.97 lac have returned their forms so far. Shockingly, there is no trace of about 39.38 lac voters, which accounts for nearly 40% of the electorate in the GBA limits. The state chief electoral officer noted that another 16.57 lac voters are yet to submit their forms.
Statewide SIR progress
Providing an update on the statewide progress, Anbukumar stated that out of the 5,54,32,314 enumeration forms distributed across Karnataka, 4,26,75,861 forms have been received back and successfully digitised.
The SIR exercise has currently achieved a progress rate of 76.99 percent. Data is still pending for 43,24,841 voters, and a clearer picture is expected to emerge after August 8. Additionally, the commission has received 3.22 lac online applications, 2,283 Form 6A applications, and 7.73 lac Form 7 applications.
August 8 deadline
Voters who have not yet returned their forms are urged to submit them with the assistance of block level officers (BLOs) before August 8. While around 29 lac voters returned their forms citing a lack of '2002 information', authorities have clarified that they can still apply with the help of BLOs even if that specific data is unavailable.
The 51.74 lac voters categorized as 'permanently shifted' can submit Form-6 with valid address proof if they are currently residing anywhere in Karnataka and do not hold voting rights elsewhere in the country. Their names will be included if proper residential proof is provided; failing which, they will be permanently excluded from the final electoral roll.