Karnataka Election Officials Order Thorough Verification of Form 7 Applications
BLOs asked to verify documents and conduct field checks before processing voter deletion requests amid concerns over misuse
Bengaluru: Karnataka election officials have stepped up scrutiny of Form 7 applications amid allegations of misuse during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
Booth Level Officers have been instructed to examine voter deletion requests carefully and ensure that no eligible voter is removed from the electoral roll without proper verification.
Officials have been asked to examine the reason mentioned in each Form 7 application, check the supporting documents and verify the relevant details before taking any action. A Form 7 application by itself is not treated as conclusive proof for deleting a voter’s name.
Where further verification is required, officials may conduct field visits to the concerned address and make necessary local inquiries before processing the request.
Applications involving multiple deletion requests from the same person are also expected to receive closer scrutiny. Officials have been instructed not to process such applications mechanically without establishing the validity of the claims.
The increased scrutiny comes amid allegations that Form 7 has been used in bulk to seek deletion of eligible voters during the SIR process. Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer V Anbukkumar has also directed Electoral Registration Officers to take action according to law against applicants found to have knowingly made false statements or declarations in electoral forms.
According to data released by the CEO’s office, 84,900 Form 7 applications were received across Karnataka between June 16 and October 1. None of these applications was filed as an objection to the proposed inclusion of a name, according to the official statement.
The applications were received across 34 electoral districts. Bidar recorded the highest number with 5,915 applications, followed by Shivamogga with 5,760 and Dakshina Kannada with 4,746.
Bengaluru Urban recorded 3,026 applications. BBMP North recorded 1,689, while BBMP South recorded 1,429 and BBMP Central recorded 1,356. Bengaluru Rural recorded 1,354 applications.
Other districts with significant numbers included Tumakuru with 4,350, Vijayapura with 3,788, Belagavi with 3,539 and Mysuru with 2,828 applications.
The CEO’s office has also said that action under the law can be taken against applicants who knowingly make false statements or declarations in Forms 6, 6A, 7 and 8.
The detailed verification process is intended to ensure that legitimate deletion requests are acted upon while protecting eligible voters from wrongful removal. Election officials have therefore been instructed to examine Form 7 applications individually and rely on proper verification and supporting evidence before making changes to the electoral roll.