‘Want to share a joke’: Prakash Raj listed as ‘permanently shifted’ in SIR

Actor Prakash Raj has come forward to highlight a widespread issue during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Karnataka. In a video posted on his social media, the actor revealed that he too was among the 65 lakh voters classified as "permanently shifted" by the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Karnataka.

Prakash Raj, who votes in Bengaluru's Shantinagar Assembly constituency, expressed his frustration over the deletion of his voting rights after the SIR. He sought information on the process to rectify the issue, asking, "What papers should I have to show" to regain his voter ID. The actor urged his supporters to use their influence to ensure that their voting rights are not unjustly taken away while emphasizing that they cannot be silenced.

Raj also shared a screenshot of his ASDDO verification status, which classified him under the "permanently shifted" category. It is noteworthy that 1 in 5 voters on the ASDDO list in Karnataka, totaling 19.66 per cent of the 5.54-crore electorate, are currently affected by this classification. Last month, Prakash Raj received bail in a case where he was accused of possessing multiple voter ID cards.

In response to the complaints, CEO V Anbukkumar has extended the enumeration phase deadline to August 17, granting voters additional time to verify their status and address any errors with booth-level officers.