On July 15 2024, Satish Jarkiholi told reporters in Bengaluru that the Special Intensive Revision of Karnataka's electoral rolls had trimmed the electorate from 5.54 crore to 4.55 crore, a loss of 99.32 lakh voters, and that the process was "right" because of the Congress's protests and training sessions.
The SIR, carried out under the Election Commission's mandate, sought to remove duplicate entries, non‑residents, and deceased voters. Critics, however, argue that the revision also erased legitimate names, citing similar controversies in West Bengal, Maharashtra and Bihar. Jarkiholi stressed that Karnataka's approach differed as it involved extensive training for poll officials and rigorous vetting, which he claimed ensured accuracy.
A family displaced by a landslide in Bellary, whose name disappeared from the rolls during the revision, marched to the Karnataka Secretariat demanding a review. The protest underscored the human toll of administrative changes and the fear that eligible voters might be inadvertently disenfranchised.
The Congress party has amplified its "vote chori" campaign across several states, accusing the Election Commission of irregularities and claiming that revisions in other states were conducted without proper oversight. The party alleges that the SIR in Karnataka was the only state where protests and training were effectively incorporated.
The Election Commission has yet to explain the criteria used to delete names, prompting opposition lawmakers to demand a parliamentary inquiry next month to scrutinise the process and safeguard voter rights.