Priyank alleges BJP declaring living voters dead

CH NEWS BENGALURU Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge on Thursday accused BJP leaders of filing fraudulent Form 7 applications to delete names of living voters. Kharge alleged that complaints were being filed against sitting BJP MLAs for submitting false Form 7 applications, including claims that living people were dead. He questioned Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the issue. “People who are alive are being proclaimed dead by the BJP,” Kharge told reporters, alleging that the issue was part of attempts to remove legitimate voters from electoral rolls. His remarks came amid a growing political dispute over alleged misuse of Form 7 during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Karnataka. The Home Minister also said complaints had been lodged against BJP legislators over allegedly false applications. He questioned the Election Commission’s handling of the controversy and sought accountability from its top officials. Earlier, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar alleged that more than one lakh voters had been targeted through Form 7 applications. He claimed that computerised forms containing voter details were prepared and distributed to local BJP workers. These allegations have not been independently established and are part of the ongoing political dispute. The controversy has already led to police cases over alleged fraudulent Form 7 applications. In Bengaluru, an FIR was registered over an alleged attempt to delete 5,698 voters in the Jayanagar constituency. The Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer has said Electoral Registration Officers would examine complaints regarding bulk Form 7 applications and take action in accordance with the law.