Satish Jarkiholi said the SIR in Karnataka was conducted properly, arguing that the Election Commission’s removal of almost 1.0 crore names was justified by duplicate, deceased and relocated voters. He cited the state’s cadre training programme as the reason for the exercise’s precision.
But the Congress faction led by state chief BK Hariprasad has blasted the exercise as a deliberate attempt to wipe out voters. He declared that Karnataka’s SIR "is entirely to uproot the democratic process" and that the deletion of 1 crore names was a tactic to deny the BJP a foothold.
The BJP seized the moment, tweeting that even Congress leaders recognise the need for a clean voter roll while exposing Rahul Gandhi’s anti‑democratic politics. The party flagged Karnataka as a "vote theft" case and is preparing a mass rally on Sunday at Delhi’s Ramlila Grounds, coupled with a 4.5‑hour "People’s Impeachment" of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar at Mallikarjun Kharge’s home.
In Chittapur, where the returning officer found 40 voters from a single community targeted by a pre‑printed Form 7, a local farmer questioned the legitimacy of the removal. He said the form’s origin was unclear and that the deletion had left him and others confused about their voting status.
With the rally set for Sunday, Congress leaders are expected to hold a live broadcast of the impeachment programme, while the BJP will rally supporters to protest the SIR. The outcome of the rally could shape the narrative around voter rolls ahead of the upcoming general elections.