ECI orders probe into Form-7 fraud charge after Karnataka CM Shivakumar’s protest
The Election Commission of India has ordered an inquiry into the bulk filing of Form-7 applications in Karnataka following protests by the Chief Minister. The forms were allegedly used to fraudulently delete voters from electoral rolls, specifically targeting marginalized communities.
Why it matters
This incident raises significant concerns regarding the integrity of electoral rolls and the potential for political misuse of administrative processes to disenfranchise specific voter groups.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) ordered a probe into the filing of Form-7s in bulk seeking deletions of names from final electoral rolls following a five-hour protest by Karnataka Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar and his Cabinet colleagues.
Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka, V. Anbu Kumar, directed all Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) to take action against applicants who “knowingly” make false statements or declarations while filing claims or objections in Forms 6, 6A, 7 and 8.
Mr. Shivakumar withdrew the protest after the announcement.
Earlier in the day, he alleged that “pre-filled” Form-7s were filed in bulk across the State by the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal (Secular) workers, targeting Muslims, members of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes, claiming they had either “shifted” or were “absent”.
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