Mysuru: Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has said the Election Commission will investigate complaints over alleged misuse of Form 7 applications seeking deletion of voters’ names, ruling out a separate investigation by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the state government.

Speaking to reporters at the Periyapatna helipad in Mysuru district on Saturday, Shivakumar said several residents had complained that Form 7 applications seeking deletion of their names from electoral rolls had been submitted without their knowledge.

Form 7 is used to raise objections to the inclusion of a name or seek deletion of a voter from the electoral roll. The controversy has intensified during Karnataka’s ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Shivakumar says voter deletions require verification

Shivakumar said the Election Commission had assured that voters’ names would not be deleted without proper verification and that election officials had been instructed to follow the prescribed legal procedure.

“It is a fact that there is a conflict. Forms have been printed. Many residents themselves do not know why someone has submitted Form 7 for deletion of their name,” he said.

He said the Election Commission had also asked officials to compare the new electoral roll with the previous list and ensure that vulnerable sections were protected.

According to Shivakumar, complaints had been received from local residents and were being verified by election officials.

The chief minister also denied that he had protested against the Election Commissioner. He said he had approached the constitutional authority to bring the issue and relevant legal provisions to its attention as an elected representative.

Shivakumar said the Election Commissioner had sought time to examine the matter and that officials subsequently consulted their legal experts before taking necessary steps.

BJP rejects allegations over Form 7

The controversy has triggered a political confrontation between the Congress and BJP.

Shivakumar has alleged that there was a coordinated attempt to delete large numbers of eligible voters through Form 7 applications. He has accused BJP and JD(S) leaders of being involved in the alleged exercise and has spoken of a possible conspiracy affecting lakhs of voters.

The BJP, however, has rejected the allegations and maintained that filing Form 7 is a legitimate part of the electoral process. BJP state president B.Y. Vijayendra has said the Election Commission is responsible for verifying objections before any deletion is made.

The BJP has also argued that Congress had previously sought to add ineligible or bogus voters to electoral rolls and that objections submitted through Form 7 were intended to identify such entries.

The Election Commission has meanwhile directed officials to take action against false objections and verify complaints concerning bulk Form 7 submissions.

Most Form 7 applications predate current SIR

Election Commission data cited amid the controversy shows that a much larger number of Form 7 applications were received before the current SIR exercise.

Between January 1, 2025 and June 16, 2026, the EC received 15.87 lakh Form 7 applications in Karnataka, of which 14.84 lakh resulted in deletions. From June 16 to October 2, another 84,900 Form 7 applications were received during the SIR period, with these applications pending verification at the time of the data being cited.

The figures have become a key part of the political debate, with the Congress highlighting alleged suspicious applications during the revision while the BJP pointing to the larger number of Form 7 applications received before the SIR.

Officials point to safeguards in electoral revision

Senior election officials have said the electoral revision process includes several mechanisms to identify unusual changes in voter data.

According to officials, applications submitted through Forms 6, 7 and 8 are monitored, while political parties’ Booth-Level Agents have access to relevant information and can raise objections.

Officials have also pointed out that Forms 9, 10, 11 and 11A containing information on additions and deletions are shared with political parties regularly.

The election machinery also monitors changes in elector-population ratios, gender ratios, EPIC and photograph coverage, polling station details and other demographic indicators.

Officials said voter movement between constituencies is now handled through Form 8. Since 2023, voters shifting residence can submit Form 8 with supporting documents at their new address, following which their name is deleted from the previous electoral location.

Further scrutiny expected

The Form 7 controversy comes amid heightened political attention to Karnataka’s SIR exercise. The Election Commission has already sought reports from officials in connection with complaints over bulk submissions and has indicated that legal action would be taken where false objections are established.

Shivakumar said the government would respect the Election Commission’s role and await the findings of the verification process.

The dispute is likely to remain a major political issue as the SIR process progresses, with both the Congress and BJP continuing to make competing claims over the purpose and scale of Form 7 applications.