Form 7 row: EC to probe voter deletion claims, says CM Shivakumar

Mangalore Today News Network

Mysuru, Oct 3, 2026: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Saturday said there would be no separate investigation by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the state government into the alleged filing of Form 7 applications seeking deletion of voters’ names. He said the Election Commission itself would examine the issue.

Speaking at the Periyapatna helipad in Mysuru district, Shivakumar said several voters had complained that Form 7 applications seeking deletion of their names had been submitted without their knowledge.

“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. The Election Commission has said it will take action as per the law,” he said.

He said the Election Commission had instructed election officials to ensure that names were not deleted without proper verification and to compare the new voter list with the previous one before taking action.

“The Central Election Commission has also realised the truth and asked officials to verify the new list by comparing it with the previous list. They have said that the votes of vulnerable sections, including the homeless, poor, minorities and SC/ST communities, should be protected. Several local people have lodged complaints in this regard and they are being verified,” Shivakumar said.

He also denied that he had staged a protest against the Election Commissioner.

“I have only brought the issue and the legal provisions to the Election Commission. As a representative of the people, I have to protect their votes. The Election Commissioner sought time for it. We wondered why they needed time for this, so we sat there. Finally, they consulted their legal experts, who arrived and took the necessary steps,” he said.

Responding to BJP leaders’ statements that complaints would be filed against him, Shivakumar said they were making such statements under pressure.

“We have only appealed to a constitutional body. I cannot demand anything from them. They cannot come to me, so I went to them. Let me respect the law. If I have made any mistake and created chaos on the streets, let them file a complaint,” he said.

On the allegations of irregularities involving the NICE project, Shivakumar said he would not divert the issue by reacting to individual allegations.

“There is a law for everything in this country. I will not deviate from the issue by reacting. The law will answer everything,” he said.

Shivakumar also declined to respond to an allegation made against him by Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy.