Form-7 applications filed in bulk in Koppa taluk, allege Congress workers

On Saturday, Congress leaders staged a protest outside the Koppa taluk office in Chikkamagaluru district, accusing BJP leaders of filing Form-7 applications to remove 243 names from the electoral roll. They demanded the tahsildar to file a case against Koppa BJP president H.K. Dinesh and other party officials. Sudhir Kumar Murolli, the Congress leader leading the protest, claimed that Dinesh and others sought the deletion of 243 people because they had moved out of the taluk, but were minorities.

Murolli alleged that Vazir Khan, a school teacher and Booth Level Officer for the Kattemane booth, had his name targeted for deletion due to his community. During the protest, Congress workers demanded the tahsildar to file charges against BJP leaders for filing Form-7 with false information and submitted a memorandum seeking action against them.

The BJP leader withdrew his application after Congress staged a protest at the Chief Electoral Officer's office in Bengaluru, requesting action against those who filed false Form-7 applications. The deletion of even a few hundred names in Koppa, which is part of the Sringeri Assembly constituency, could significantly impact the election, as the victory margin in the last Assembly elections was just 201 votes.