D K Shivakumar seeks CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, fresh SIR in Karnataka

Following The Indian Express investigation into the conflict within the Election Commission of India (ECI), Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar Thursday demanded Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation and called for scrapping the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) underway in the state.

Shivakumar, who previously wrote to the ECI, requesting an extension of the October 4 deadline to submit corrections for the draft voters list published on August 24, urged a "fresh revision of electoral data to protect democracy and every citizen’s right to vote".

Criticising the internal functioning of the poll body, Shivakumar said, “When a majority of the members do not agree with an opinion, a decision cannot be imposed unilaterally. It would be better if the Chief Election Commissioner voluntarily resigns on moral grounds.” He noted that the ECI's autonomy is severely undermined when unilateral decisions are enforced.

Referring to Forms 6, 7, and 8 used in the current revision drive, Shivakumar raised questions about the execution of the process, alleging that it threatens to disenfranchise illiterate and socio-economically disadvantaged sections of society.

“This is not merely a matter of opinion. It is a fundamental right. This is the voice of the common man. We want a fresh SIR to be conducted. Everyone should be given their rights. The situation must be reviewed comprehensively to ensure the right to every vote, and the electoral data must be re-examined.” Shivakumar urged that Parliament debate the matter so elected representatives can voice voters' concerns.

He also alleged that citizens' voting rights are being manipulated for political ends. “Similar attempts have been made in West Bengal, Bihar and several other states. Now they are trying to do the same everywhere, including Karnataka." The SIR exercise in Karnataka has categorised 1.08 crore out of 5.54 crore voters in the 'Absent, Shifted, Dead, Duplicate, and Others' (ASDDO) list, including 46.88 lakh voters in Bengaluru alone.

Additionally, notices for discrepancies have been issued to 43.81 lakh voters out of the 4.46 crore listed in the draft rolls published last month. More than half of these notices, 23.28 lakh, were issued to voters who were unmapped during the last SIR in 2002.

In an August 25 letter addressed to CEC Gyanesh Kumar, Shivakumar urged the Commission to grant additional time beyond 45 days for individuals flagged under the 'logical discrepancies' category and for voters excluded from the draft list to seek reinstatement.

He pointed out that around 1.5 crore voters in Karnataka face potential deletion unless they submit claims for continuation or fresh inclusion. Shivakumar noted that with Karnataka Assembly elections scheduled for 2028 and local body elections set for later this year, the ECI has sufficient time to fulfil its dual obligation of "preparing accurate electoral rolls and ensuring that no genuine and eligible voter is excluded".

Since the rollout of the SIR drive in July, the Congress has voiced concern that voter enrolments could be linked to eligibility for state welfare guarantees. In response, the state government introduced measures such as issuing permanent residence certificates (PRC), which is among the accepted documents for voter enrolment under ECI guidelines.