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The Special Intensive Revision, or SIR, substantially reduced Karnataka’s electoral rolls. The final list contained 45.5 million voters, compared with 55.43 million before the exercise began in June. That is a decline of nearly 18%. The change matters because electoral rolls determine who can vote.

Bengaluru experienced the largest reduction. Its four electoral districts now have 5.9 million voters, down from 10.3 million before SIR. During the process, people were classified as Absent, Shifted, Dead, or Duplicate. Some were also found ineligible after hearings or removed following Form 7 applications.

The final roll was published after claims and objections. About 1 million voters were added during that period, and the final list increased by 819,714 compared with the draft. Civil society groups and the Congress raised concerns about absent and shifted voters, while election officials said the process followed the rules and stayed within the accepted elector-to-population range.

Karnataka’s electorate fell by about 9.93 million voters when the final roll was compared with the pre-SIR figure. The state went from 55.43 million electors to 45.5 million, a reduction of nearly 18%. The article does not describe every deletion individually, but it records a major number of people marked Absent, Shifted, Dead, or Duplicate.

Bengaluru accounted for the most dramatic change. Its four electoral districts had 10.3 million electors before SIR but only 5.9 million on the final roll. The process required voters to map themselves to the previous 2002 revision. Those who failed to map themselves, or whose details differed, could receive notices and face review.

The size of the reduction remains politically significant. During claims and objections, 1 million voters were added, and 819,714 more voters appeared on the final roll than on the draft. The final list included fewer than 1,000 foreigners deleted statewide, including 583 detected in Bengaluru North.

A Special Intensive Revision is a thorough review of an electoral roll. Its purpose is to check whether listed voters are still present, eligible, and correctly recorded. It can identify people who have moved, died, been listed more than once, or otherwise do not qualify. It also gives eligible people an opportunity to correct or restore their entries.

In Karnataka, the process began with house-to-house distribution of enumeration forms on June 30. Electors were asked to map themselves to the previous SIR conducted in 2002. A draft roll followed on August 24. It excluded or classified 10.79 million people under labels including Absent, Shifted, Dead, and Duplicate.

The process was not final at the draft stage. About 4.38 million electors received notices over missing mappings or discrepancies such as name mismatches. During claims and objections, around 1 million voters were added, while deletions were reviewed. The final roll was published after this exercise concluded on October 27.

House-to-house enumeration created the first check on Karnataka’s existing electoral roll. Beginning June 30, forms were distributed so electors could map themselves to the previous SIR from 2002. This helped officials compare current entries with earlier records and identify entries needing review.

The draft roll, published on August 24, listed 44.63 million electors. Another 10.79 million people were marked Absent, Shifted, Dead, or Duplicate. Notices went to 4.38 million electors because they had not mapped themselves or had discrepancies, including mismatched names. These classifications did not end the process because affected people could respond.

During the claims-and-objections period, officials considered applications and conducted hearings. Around 1 million voters were added, while 188,324 names were deleted after Form 7 applications. The final roll contained 45.5 million voters, which was 819,714 more than the draft. Thus, enumeration identified cases, and review determined the final outcome.

An inaccurate deletion can stop an eligible voter from appearing on the final roll. That person may be unable to vote unless the error is corrected through the available claims, objections, or later procedures. Large or uneven deletions can also change the apparent size of electorates and affect confidence in election administration.

The Karnataka process illustrates the risk. Civil society groups flagged the high number of people marked Absent or Shifted. The Congress expressed concern that Form 7 applications could selectively target minorities, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and backward classes. The article does not establish that such targeting occurred, but it records the concern and the political dispute.

Safeguards therefore matter. Notices, hearings, and opportunities to submit claims can restore eligible voters. Karnataka added about 1 million voters during claims and objections. Still, the final list had 45.5 million voters, far below the pre-SIR total, so accurate verification and transparent review remain important for future revisions.

The article does not assign responsibility for the disputed deletions to one person or organisation. It says 229,235 Form 7 applications seeking deletions were received, and 188,324 names were deleted from the draft roll. Chief electoral officer V. Anbukumar said there was no bulk generation of Form 7 applications.

The Election Commission supervised the revision through the chief electoral officer’s office, including enumeration, notices, hearings, and publication of the final roll. Karnataka’s elected government was represented politically by the ruling Congress and chief minister D.K. Shivakumar. The Congress protested over suspected misuse of Form 7 and possible selective targeting.

Civil society groups highlighted the number of people marked Absent or Shifted. Election officials provided figures explaining the deletions: 124,327 resulted from permanent moves, while 61,960 people were classified as ineligible during hearings. The article reports these competing roles and claims, but it does not prove that any party or group unlawfully caused the deletions.

Electoral rolls need periodic revision because records can change when people move, die, appear more than once, or become ineligible. Karnataka’s SIR was intended to check those changes through household enumeration, mapping to the 2002 revision, notices, and hearings. It also allowed eligible voters to seek inclusion or correction.

Eligibility concerns whether a person can be registered as an elector, while citizenship is one part of that assessment. The process removed fewer than 1,000 foreigners statewide, including 583 detected in Bengaluru North. It also removed people who had acquired citizenship elsewhere but remained on the rolls. Other deletions involved permanent relocation, duplication, or ineligibility.

Population estimates provide a broader comparison, not a list of voters. Karnataka’s estimated population was 68.75 million, and its 45.5 million electors produced an elector-to-population ratio of 66.11. The Election Commission said this was within the accepted range. That figure did not resolve concerns about individual deletions.