FIR against BJP agent for removing over 7,500 voters in Karnataka
Most of the nearly 4,000 applications to remove names from Karnataka's voter lists were linked to Muslim voters.
A case has emerged regarding an alleged attempt to remove names from the voter list on a large scale in the Bellary City Assembly constituency of Karnataka. According to reports, T. Srinivas Mothakur, a booth-level agent of the Bharatiya Janata Party, is accused of demanding the removal of over 7,500 voters' names through Form 7 during a special intensive revision, known as SIR. An FIR has been registered against him for misuse.
The Hindu reported on Tuesday that,
most of the nearly 4,000 applications filed for removing names from Karnataka's voter lists were related to Muslim voters. This information is based on data from Form 10, which compiles details of applications received under Form 7.
Form 7 is used to object to the inclusion of a name in the voter list or to request the removal of an already registered name. Political parties appoint booth-level agents for different polling station areas. These agents work with booth-level officials during the preparation and revision of the voter list.
this is the sixth FIR related to the alleged misuse of Form 7 in Karnataka. In three of the five previously registered cases, BJP members have been named as accused. The Congress has alleged that this process targets voters from the minority community. However, Mothakur has denied the allegations of demanding the removal of names.
On September 21, Mothakur wrote a letter to the Bellary City Corporation stating that several booth-level officials had refused to accept his Form 7 applications. He subsequently submitted the remaining applications directly to the electoral registration officer. On the same day, election officials responded that no documents or other information had been provided to support claims of the relevant voters being registered elsewhere, being absent, or having permanently moved. Officials clarified that such claims cannot be accepted without sufficient basis.
In his response, the electoral registration officer stated that,
no booth-level agent can submit more than ten applications to a booth-level officer in a day. If more than 30 applications are received from any agent during the period for filing claims and objections, the electoral registration officer or assistant officer must re-examine them. Agents are also required to declare that they have verified the details recorded in the applications and found them to be correct. The purpose of this system is to keep the demand for name removals under scrutiny and to prevent action based on false applications.
Subsequently, on September 22, Mothakur wrote another letter to the election officials. In it, he indicated his intention to file objections against 7,561 voters included in the draft voter list for the Bellary Assembly constituency and attached a list of names. Officials also rejected this request, stating that voter registration cannot be confirmed solely based on a complaint.
Following this, Congress booth-level agent Gautam S. filed a complaint against Mothakur. He alleged that most of the voters whose names were attempted to be removed belonged to the minority community. A case has been registered against Mothakur under provisions related to mischief against public tranquility in the Indian Penal Code. Mothakur stated that he and another booth agent had identified voters who had moved or were absent. According to him, this information was provided only for verification to the electoral registration officer. He denied demanding the removal of voters' names.
On Thursday, Karnataka's Chief Electoral Officer V. Ambu Kumar stated that legal action would be taken if irregularities were found in the bulk filing of Form 7 applications. In a circular sent to district electoral officers and electoral registration officers, he mentioned that his office had received reports of large-scale applications, some of which were allegedly not genuine. Officials have been instructed to investigate these.
This announcement came after D.K. Shivakumar and Congress legislators protested outside the election officer's office. Following the announcement, Shivakumar withdrew the protest. Questions have been raised about the process and pace of SIR, which began in June 2025.
Concerns have been expressed that this could disenfranchise genuine voters. According to the information provided, the Supreme Court upheld the validity of this exercise in May but clarified that it does not grant the Election Commission the authority to determine an individual's Indian citizenship.