SIR: Migration, logical discrepancies likely to result in up to 12% voter deletions, claim political groups in Karnataka

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The estimate is based on documents reviewed as well as trends observed in other States where the exercise has been carried out, said members of Jagrutha Karnataka. File | Photo Credit: The Hindu

With multiple discrepancies emerging as the pre-Special Intensive Revision (SIR) mapping progresses, political groups and activists monitoring the exercise, who have cross-checked the records with Booth Level Officers (BLOs), have estimated that around 12% of Karnataka’s voters could face deletion during the revision process.

The estimate is based on documents reviewed as well as trends observed in other States where the exercise has been carried out, said members of Jagrutha Karnataka. The average deletion rate nationally has been around 10-12%, with Kerala being a notable exception.

The electoral rolls are also set to be frozen shortly. The Election Commission will freeze the E-Roll, the digital version of the official voter list, on June 16. Before the freeze takes effect, all pending applications under Forms 6, 6A, 7 and 8 will be processed. These forms are used for the inclusion of new voters, registration of overseas (NRI) voters, objections to entries in the electoral roll, and correction or updating of voter details, respectively. Once the roll is frozen, it will serve as the base voter database for the next stage of the revision exercise.

While permanently shifted voter IDs are expected to account for a significant share of the deletions, activists say the exercise has also highlighted difficulties in mapping women voters whose details changed after marriage. The issue is particularly visible among women who moved to or from neighbouring States such as Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, where linking records across locations has proved challenging.

Concerns were also raised over the category of “logical discrepancies“. Citing the example of West Bengal, where more electors were reportedly deleted under the logical discrepancies category than under the absent, shifted, dead and d