8.8 lakh Muslim voters allegedly dropped from electoral rolls in India's Karnataka

Muslim organisations in India's Karnataka state have alleged that 8.8 lakh voters were removed from electoral rolls across 64 constituencies with significant Muslim populations during the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR), raising concerns over possible disproportionate deletions targeting the community.

The Karnataka Rajya Muslim Okkootaa (KRMO), an umbrella organisation representing several Muslim groups, raised the allegations following an analysis by political research firm Sankalp, which found that more than 27 per cent of voters had been deleted in constituencies represented by the state's 10 Muslim legislators, The Indian Express reports.

According to KRMO, the deletion rate in these constituencies was higher than the state average. The organisation also claimed that Muslim voters accounted for a disproportionately large share of deletions in several categories.

Among the constituencies highlighted was Chamarajpet in Bengaluru, represented by minister Zameer Ahmed Khan, where 1.7 lakh voters were allegedly removed. In Shivajinagar, represented by minister Rizwan Arshad, another 81,230 voters were reportedly deleted.

KRMO said Muslims account for 12.9 per cent of Karnataka's population but represented 17.1 per cent of voters removed under the 'absent' category and 20.3 per cent of those deleted under the 'enrolled elsewhere' category.

By contrast, Muslims accounted for 12.2 per cent of voters removed as deceased, a figure broadly consistent with their share of the state's population, according to the organisation.

The group argued that the disproportionate deletions under the 'absent' and 'enrolled elsewhere' categories lacked sufficient documentary evidence and appeared to rely on decisions made by field-level election officials.

It also questioned how more than 10 lakh voters were added to the electoral rolls despite the Election Commission receiving only 785,716 applications under Form 9, which is used to request the inclusion of names.

Earlier in October, The Indian Express reported allegations of bulk submission of Form 7 applications seeking the removal of eligible Muslim voters. Chief Minister D K Shivakumar had also disclosed details of three police cases filed over similar concerns.

In a statement on Monday, KRMO leaders said the figures emerging from the revision exercise had raised serious questions about the credibility of the electoral process.

They argued that the higher rate of deletions in constituencies with large Muslim populations, opposition strongholds and categories dependent on field officials' assessments could not be dismissed as a coincidence.

The organisation has called on Karnataka's chief electoral officer and the Election Commission of India to explain the alleged discrepancies.

It has also demanded that the SIR exercise be scrapped, the previous electoral rolls be restored and a judicial inquiry be conducted into the process.