Deletions in Karnataka’s draft SIR rolls alarming | Data
Five constituencies in core Bengaluru region see more than 50% of its electoral rolls getting deleted, unseen in other major States. Despite concerning levels of deletions, the office of Karnataka CEO has neither made the deletions lists easily accessible nor has it made public the gender-wise deletions in each constituency
Karnataka's draft electoral rolls following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) have displayed alarming levels of deletions, with 1.08 crore names removed, shrinking the rolls by 19.5%. This is the highest rate of deletions among major States, surpassing Telangana's 21.7%. Karnataka’s deletion count is 67 lakh short of the estimated population eligible to vote, though it's uncertain if this gap can be filled.
The deletion of 44 lakh voters, who face potential service notices for discrepancies, is particularly concerning. The Bengaluru region saw the highest concentration of deletions, with 67% affected, followed by Gulbarga Dakshin with 34%. Five constituencies in Bengaluru had more than half of their electoral rolls deleted. This is unprecedented in any State, where 36 out of 224 constituencies saw more than 50% deletions.
Nearly 67% of deletions in Karnataka were due to voters marked as 'Shifted' or 'Absent', even in rural areas. Unlike most States, Karnataka hasn't published the deleted voters' list in a searchable format, making it difficult for voters to find their names. The website of the Chief Electoral Officer has also been criticized for poor maintenance, with many links leading to "URL not found" errors.
Karnataka's data on gender-wise deletions is also not publicly available, raising questions about the impact on women, men, and transgender persons.
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