BENGALURU: The National Democratic Alliance intensified its criticism of the Congress-led state government regarding the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Karnataka. On July 6, the alliance presented what it called documentary evidence of widespread procedural lapses to the Chief Electoral Officer and called for a new count in affected zones. A group of senior BJP and JD(S) figures claimed the verification drive involved political influence and breaches of commission rules.
Led by Union Ministers Pralhad Joshi and H.D. Kumaraswamy, the delegation met Chief Electoral Officer V. Anbukkumar and delivered a memorandum plus a pen drive holding videos, photographs and other items said to support the claims. The leaders stated that Booth Level Officers skipped required house visits and instead handed out forms at shared sites.
After the meeting, Joshi said the state administration was trying to undermine the electoral system through interference in the revision. He noted that all NDA partners had filed a complaint and supplied evidence showing the process was allegedly altered. Enumeration occurred at madrasas, mosques, homes of Congress legislators and local leaders rather than following official steps, he added.
Joshi further claimed the materials included videos of messages instructing voters to gather at specific places instead of receiving home visits. In certain locations, booth officer identity cards displayed photographs of legislators, which raised doubts about impartiality.
He recalled that BJP state president B.Y. Vijayendra, Legislative Council opposition leader Chalavadi Narayanaswamy and JD(S) leader Nikhil Kumaraswamy had raised similar issues earlier, yet problems persisted.
Joshi demanded prompt fixes and urged the commission to order fresh enumeration in impacted stations or restart the exercise where violations occurred. He stressed that the revision loses purpose without personal household checks, as only direct visits can confirm eligibility.
Kumaraswamy supported these points and said the alliance had provided enough material to justify an independent review. He expressed confidence that the commission would assess the evidence fairly and noted that further joint approaches to the national commission remained possible if needed.
Kumaraswamy accused the state government of promoting irregular practices from the start and misusing officials for partisan ends. He also cited media reports on deviations and said these concerns had now been formally submitted.
The claims follow a recent directive from the Chief Electoral Officer instructing booth officers to conduct door-to-door form distribution after reports emerged of distribution from offices and community halls. The Congress government has denied any interference, stating the revision proceeds under commission oversight. The NDA continues to press for an investigation to ensure strict adherence to guidelines.
