Union Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Labour and Employment Shobha Karandlaje on Friday appealed to the Chief Election Commissioner of the Election Commission of India (ECI), calling for immediate intervention over what she described as a dilution of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Karnataka.
Her communication follows reports that Enumeration Forms are being distributed through community centres rather than via the prescribed door-to-door exercise across the state.
In her letter, the Union Minister requested the Election Commission to conduct an urgent inquiry into allegations surrounding the implementation of the SIR exercise throughout Karnataka. She asked the Commission to determine whether the mandatory house-to-house verification by Booth Level Officers (BLOs) had been replaced or weakened by verification camps held in community halls and other similar venues.
Karandlaje also urged the poll panel to verify whether BLOs were being permitted to carry out their responsibilities independently in line with the Commission's directions. She further sought measures to ensure that no ineligible individual, including any illegal immigrant or non-citizen, was entered into the electoral rolls.
The Minister called on the Election Commission to instruct all election authorities in Karnataka to follow its prescribed procedures without deviation. She additionally sought the appointment of independent observers wherever required to protect the integrity of the ongoing electoral roll revision.
Emphasising the importance of accurate voter lists in maintaining the sanctity of democratic elections, Karandlaje appealed to the Chief Election Commissioner to ensure that the Special Intensive Revision in Karnataka is conducted in full compliance with the Constitution, the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and the Election Commission's guidelines.
The letter also conveyed her concern over the manner in which the SIR exercise is currently being carried out across the state. According to Karandlaje, the process has generated widespread apprehension among elected representatives, Booth Level Officers, political workers and members of the public.
She alleged that, in several locations, authorities were conducting the revision exercise through camps at community halls and other common venues instead of undertaking the mandatory house-to-house verification mandated by the Election Commission of India.
Karandlaje argued that such an approach defeats the core purpose of an intensive revision, which is designed to physically verify every elector at his or her ordinary place of residence.
“Any departure from this procedure significantly weakens the safeguards built into the revision process and undermines the integrity of the electoral rolls,” she stated.
The Union Minister further said she had received representations claiming that Booth Level Officers were not being consulted during the implementation of the SIR exercise and were not being allowed to perform their statutory responsibilities in accordance with the Election Commission's guidelines.
She alleged that, rather than enabling BLOs to carry out proper field verification, the state administrative machinery had introduced procedures that diluted the SIR exercise, thereby affecting the independence and reliability of the electoral roll revision process.
Karandlaje also claimed that concerns were growing over the alleged misuse of the state administrative machinery to dilute the prescribed SIR procedure for political gain.
She further asserted that the absence of effective door-to-door verification posed a significant risk of ineligible individuals, including illegal immigrants and others not entitled to be enrolled under the provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, being included in the electoral rolls.
“Any illegal inclusion of such persons would directly affect the purity of the electoral rolls and erode public confidence in the electoral process,” she wrote.
Referring to the constitutional responsibilities of the Election Commission, Karandlaje said that under Article 324 of the Constitution, the Commission is entrusted with ensuring that the preparation and revision of electoral rolls remain free, fair, transparent and insulated from executive influence.
She maintained that any large-scale departure from the prescribed procedure warranted immediate examination and corrective action by the Election Commission.
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