V. Anbukumar, Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer, told reporters on Monday in Bengaluru that no voter names have been deleted through Form 7 applications, countering state Congress claims that the BJP and JD‑S are targeting minority and oppressed‑class voters.
Form 7, an Election Commission of India document, allows an individual to object to his or her name being placed on the electoral roll or to request deletion. Anbukumar explained that every objection triggers a notice to the concerned voter and a mandatory inquiry before the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) can decide.
To date, 91,278 Form 7 applications seeking deletions have been received. The CEO noted that no cases have been registered specifically for these applications; related allegations are currently before the courts. FIRs have been lodged concerning reports that BJP leaders printed and submitted Form 7s in bulk, but those matters remain sub judice.
Guidelines permit an objector to file up to ten forms per day and a maximum of fifty forms under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. Should submissions exceed these limits, the ERO conducts an inquiry, may reject the forms, or take appropriate action. The officer has seven days to complete the inquiry and render a decision.
Under the SIR drive, 43,82,313 notices have been generated across the state. Of these, 43,55,818 (99.4%) have been served, leaving 26,495 pending. Hearings are concluded for 36,89,063 notices, representing roughly 85% of those served, while 6,66,755 hearings await completion. Booth Level Officers are visiting households, and the remaining hearings are slated to finish before October 12.
The Election Commission has so far received about 22.5 lakh forms under the claims and objections process, comprising 9.10 lakh Form 6, 97,200 Form 7 and 11.98 lakh Form 8 applications. Applications filed up to September 23 will be processed in accordance with the law; eligible names will be added and those eligible for deletion will be removed. Anbukumar assured voters that no injustice will occur and announced a special awareness campaign, urging anyone whose name is missing from the roll to submit the appropriate form promptly.
Image: mangalorean.com
📰 Source: Mangalorean News