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Karnataka Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar accused BJP leaders of using Form 7 objections to target eligible voters during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. BJP state president B. Y. Vijayendra denied the charge and accused Congress of encouraging irregular voter additions. The reports describe rival political allegations, not independently established misconduct or a verified statewide count of voters deleted.

What Form 7 does in the Karnataka SIR

The Election Commission of India (ECI) says Form 7 is used to request deletion of a name from an existing electoral roll. It is a way to submit an objection or deletion request—not proof that the person named has been removed. The ECI’s Citizen Service Portal describes the service as: “Fill Form 7 to get name deleted from the existing electoral roll.”

News reports also describe Form 7 as a mechanism to object to a proposed inclusion or request deletion. The form’s submission and the authority’s decision are separate steps; a filing alone does not establish that an entry was improper or that a deletion took place.

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What Shivakumar and Vijayendra alleged

Shivakumar’s allegation

Shivakumar accused BJP figures of making bulk Form 7 filings to remove eligible voters. He said the alleged targeting included minority, Dalit, backward-class and tribal voters, and called for an investigation. His statements are reported by The Indian Express and India Today; the reports do not independently establish that the filings were made with that intent or that eligible voters were deleted.

Vijayendra’s response

Vijayendra rejected Shivakumar’s charge and counter-alleged that Congress had encouraged irregular additions, including duplicate or ineligible registrations. This is also a political allegation, not a finding established by the reports. In a PTI report carried by Hindustan Times on October 2, 2026, Shivakumar said, “Let’s take the challenge to its logical conclusion.”

Why the figures in reports are not interchangeable

The numbers being cited measure different things and come from political statements. They should not be read as confirmed counts of voters removed.

Figure reported What it refers to Attribution and qualification
15–16 lakh Genuine voters Shivakumar said could be deleted His claim, reported by The Indian Express in 2026; not an audited deletion total.
Around 45 lakh Eligible voters Shivakumar said were at risk His claim, reported by India Today in 2026. The figure differs from his other reported estimate and should not be combined with it.
About 3,000 in Belagavi North; 6,259 in Mudigere; 1,373 in Babaleshwar; 1,200 in Narasimha Raj; 2,285 in Bhalki Constituency-level Form 7 counts cited by Shivakumar As reported by The Indian Express in 2026; these are cited application counts, not verified improper filings or completed deletions.
Roughly 24,000–25,000 Applications Vijayendra said had been submitted by people from different political parties and social groups His account, reported by PTI/Hindustan Times in 2026; it is not a verified count of improper filings or actual deletions.
Nearly one crore or 1.07 crore; 43 lakh Shivakumar’s statements about voters removed during enumeration and notices issued, respectively Political claims reported by The Indian Express in 2026. The reports do not establish their scope or status as final official totals.

No independently verified statewide total or named independent statistical study is established in the reports. An application, a notice, a change recorded during enumeration and a completed deletion are distinct events; figures for one should not be presented as figures for another.

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What election officials reportedly directed

Reports say the Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) directed officials to investigate complaints, verify claims, protect genuine voters and take legal action against people found knowingly making false statements. Areas with unusually high objection volumes were reportedly to receive particular vigilance.

An October 3, 2026 report by The Indian Express, relaying Shivakumar’s account of the CEO’s assurance, said deletion objections other than cases involving death or duplicate entries would not be approved under the stated instructions without the required supporting documentation. The official order itself is not available in the reports cited here, so this procedural detail should be understood as reported rather than as a direct quotation from the order.

How to check your voter record

If you are concerned about your own entry, use the ECI portal’s “Search Your Name in Voter List” service at voters.eci.gov.in. The portal also lists application tracking, complaints, appeals, registration and correction services. If you receive a notice or need to challenge a decision, follow the instructions and deadlines in that specific notice and the election authority’s current guidance; the reports about this dispute do not establish individual eligibility or deadlines.

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