Are there conflicting views within the Congress over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls? The question has emerged after Karnataka Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi defended the SIR exercise in the state, while IT and Biotechnology Minister and son of Rajya Sabha member Maliklarjun Kharge, Priyank Kharge, alleged that the process was being used to target voters and benefit the BJP.
Jarkiholi reportedly told the media that SIR was not a problem in Karnataka, unlike in states such as West Bengal and Bihar. He maintained that the deletions in Karnataka largely involved deceased voters, suggesting that the process had been conducted properly.
However, when asked about Jarkiholi’s remarks, Priyank Kharge pointed to alleged irregularities in Chittapur, Kalaburagi district, and Vijayapura, claiming that applications had been submitted to remove the names of living voters.
"I'm not sure what information Jarkiholi has. For example, in Chittapur, in a single booth, 40 people were targeted who were from a single community, and that was investigated by the returning officers, and it was found that the pre-printed Form 7 was available in bulk. Nobody knew the origins of it. The person who had submitted the Form 7 did not know why he had done that, and all they said was, 'It's come from the top.' So that's a very clear indication that this is a conspiracy that has its roots all over the place, and it's centralized. We will get to the bottom of it. I have information on what has happened in Vijayapura. More than 40–50 people had been declared dead, and Form 7s were submitted. They have gone and complained to the DC over there, saying, 'We are not dead; we are alive.' So all these things have happened. So I'm not sure what information Jarkiholi has. I'm basing my statements on things that have happened in Kalaburagi and elsewhere in the state."
Kharge’s remarks indicate that the Congress’s concerns extend beyond the overall number of names deleted from electoral rolls to the circumstances under which individual voters may have been marked for removal. Form 7 is the prescribed form used to object to the inclusion of a name in an electoral roll or seek its deletion, making the circumstances surrounding its submission central to the allegations.
The disagreement comes as the Congress prepares for a major protest in New Delhi on Nov 1 against alleged electoral irregularities and what it calls “vote chori”. The INDIA bloc rally at Ramlila Maidan is expected to bring together opposition leaders demanding accountability from the Election Commission of India over the SIR exercise.
The contrasting statements by two senior Karnataka ministers raise questions about how the Congress assesses the implementation of SIR in its own state. While Jarkiholi has defended the exercise, Kharge has alleged that irregularities involving Form 7 applications indicate a wider conspiracy.
With electoral-roll revision remaining a politically contentious issue, the party faces questions about how it will reconcile these positions as the campaign against alleged voter deletions gathers momentum.
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