Authorities have issued a show cause notice to a tehsildar in Belagavi district following reports that booth level officers (BLOs) had used school children for paperwork related to voter verification as part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Karnataka.
Students in SIR Gokak Belagavi
Authorities issued a show cause notice to a tehsildar in Belagavi district, in Karnataka, following reports that booth level officers had used school children for paperwork related to Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
| Video Credit:
The Hindu
Students in SIR Gokak Belagavi
Authorities issued a show cause notice to a tehsildar in Belagavi district, in Karnataka, following reports that booth level officers had used school children for paperwork related to Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
| Video Credit:
The Hindu
This follows circulation of some videos and pictures of school children being used for paperwork in Maradimath village near Gokak. Officials made students fill forms and affix photographs on some papers.
On July 8, Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Roshan told reporters in Belagavi that strict action will follow if the allegations are found to be true. “We have instructed all officials to strictly adhere to guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI). I had made this clear in the July 7 meeting too. But media reports (alleging irregularities) have surfaced. We will conduct an inquiry into the incident, and take action,” he said.
Opposition alleges irregularities in SIR in Karnataka
On July 7, a joint delegation of the BJP and the JD(S) met Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in New Delhi and submitted a memorandum alleging ‘large-scale’ procedural violations in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Karnataka. The delegation urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to order a re-verification of the exercise.
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) delegation alleged that the revision process was not being carried out in accordance with the ECI’s prescribed guidelines, and submitted what it described as documentary and video evidence to support its claims.
According to the memorandum, enumeration forms were allegedly being filled in bulk at community halls, anganwadis, convention centres, mosques and other locations instead of following the mandatory door-to-door verification by Booth Level Officers (BLOs). The delegation also alleged that WhatsApp groups were being used to mobilise people to such locations for the SIR exercise.
The NDA leaders alleged that the mandatory verification visits by the BLOs were not being carried out. Relatives were being accepted for verification without adherence to the prescribed eligibility criteria, and persons sharing only a common surname were being treated as members of the same family without proper verification, potentially leading to errors in the electoral rolls, they alleged.
Earlier on July 3, addressing separate press conferences in Bengaluru, the JD(S) and BJP leaders alleged that Booth Level Officers (BLOs) were not following the prescribed door-to-door enumeration process and that the exercise was being influenced by the ruling Congress.
Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy alleged that officials were carrying out the SIR exercise under political influence and in violation of the Election Commission’s guidelines. Releasing videos that he claimed showed irregularities in the Yeshwantpur Assembly constituency, he alleged that officials were conducting the revision under the directions of the local MLA.
He referred to a video released by his party on July 2 alleging that BLOs in Ramanagara had distributed enumeration forms from a community hall instead of visiting homes of electors. He claimed that similar irregularities were taking place in Kunigal, Pavagada, Arkalgud and Indi Assembly constituencies.
Published – July 08, 2026 02:41 pm IST
