Bommai Dismisses Voter Deletion Allegations as Political Diversion

The dispute centers on the submission of Form 7 applications, which are used to request the deletion of names from electoral rolls. While state authorities have registered an FIR against two BJP booth-level agents—Ramakrishna and Yogesh—for allegedly filing 5,698 fraudulent objections in the Jayanagar constituency, Bommai maintains that the party’s actions remained strictly within Election Commission guidelines. He argues that the criminal charges are a defensive tactic aimed at masking lapses within the ruling party’s ranks.

Karnataka Mahila Congress President Sowmya Reddy triggered the investigation, alleging that the accused targeted minority communities and voters perceived as unfavorable to the BJP. Her complaint details claims of forged signatures and the unauthorized use of resident identities to influence the rolls between June 16 and October 5. In response to these developments, Chief Minister DK Shivakumar recently led a delegation of six cabinet ministers to the office of Chief Electoral Officer V Anbukkumar, demanding a time-bound criminal probe into the alleged irregularities. Local police are currently investigating the matter under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including charges related to forgery and impersonation.