Karnataka CEO orders door-to-door verification after NDA alleges voter roll fraud

On Monday in Bengaluru, a high-level National Democratic Alliance (NDA) delegation met with the Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka, V Anbukkumar, to allege systemic fraud in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Following the representation, the Chief Electoral Officer ordered a mandatory door-to-door verification of the electoral rolls to address the alleged irregularities.

The delegation, which was led by Union ministers Pralhad Joshi and H D Kumaraswamy, included Shobha Karandlaje, Govind Karjol, and the Leaders of the Opposition in both Houses of the state legislature. The leaders submitted a memorandum alleging that Booth Level Officers (BLOs) were violating Election Commission of India guidelines under the influence of the ruling Congress government.

According to the NDA leaders, BLOs were conducting "mass enumeration" of voters at mosques, madarasas, and the homes of certain Congress leaders instead of performing the required physical verification at individual households.

Pralhad Joshi told reporters after the meeting that BLOs had formed WhatsApp groups to ask Muslim voters to assemble at market areas, mosques, or madarasas. He argued that this practice bypassed physical verification of residents at their registered addresses, claiming that the Congress was running a parallel SIR. The delegation presented photos and videos to the Chief Electoral Officer as evidence of these activities.

Joshi also raised concerns that some deputy commissioners were allowing voter validation through "any relative" rather than the prescribed direct lineage of parents and grandparents. He warned that this loophole could lead to voter fraud and the illegal registration of undocumented immigrants on the state’s voter rolls.

Additionally, the delegation condemned a statement by D K Shivakumar, which warned that skipping the SIR would disqualify citizens from receiving government benefits and guarantees. Joshi termed this an attempt to intimidate vulnerable voters.

The NDA delegation had issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the state Chief Electoral Officer to take action, warning they would otherwise escalate the issue to the Chief Election Commissioner of India in Delhi.