Actor and activist Prakash Raj was among nearly 100 protesters detained by Bengaluru Police on September 1 while they marched from Freedom Park towards Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer V Anbu Kumar’s office, demanding the cancellation of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The protest, involving groups including Eddelu Karnataka, Namma Mata Namma Hakku and Nagarika Matha Kavalu Samithi, came days after Karnataka published its SIR draft roll, which recorded 4.46 crore electors while 1.08 crore entries were categorised as Absent, Shifted, Dead, Duplicate and Others (ASDDO).
Another 43.81 lakh voters were flagged under “logical discrepancies” or “no mapping” and are subject to notices and verification. Protesters sought six months for claims and appeals, greater transparency over the notices, enrolment drives at every booth and safeguards for voters who have shifted homes.
Raj called for SIR to be scrapped and said he would approach the courts, while actor Kishore stressed the need for transparency and adequate time. Police stopped the march on Sheshadri Road and detained participants as they attempted to proceed to the CEO’s office.
Protesters Demand More Time
The protest unfolded at a critical point in Karnataka’s voter-roll revision. Speaking at Freedom Park, Raj questioned the need to conduct an extensive revision within a short timeframe and argued that ordinary voters were being made to bear the burden of proving their eligibility.
“SIR has to be scrapped. Karnataka will not sleep until it is scrapped. We will go to the court. We will fight for every citizen of this country,” he said. He also questioned the basis and decision-making process behind the nationwide SIR exercise, referring to RTI queries by activist Anjali Bhardwaj.
Raj argued that voters marked as absent or permanently shifted should not simply be pushed towards fresh enrolment. His concerns have particular resonance in Bengaluru, where a large proportion of Karnataka’s flagged voters are located.
The protesters demanded six months to file claims and appeals, publication of details concerning notices issued to more than 43 lakh voters, voter-enrolment drives at every polling booth, gram sabha and ward-level meetings, and a limit of two documents for verification. They also warned that they would oppose a final roll if eligible voters were removed without adequate opportunity to respond.
What The Numbers Show
Karnataka’s draft electoral roll, published on August 24, contained 4,46,80,151 electors, compared with 5,54,32,314 on the roll when it was frozen on June 16. The CEO’s office categorised 1,07,96,415 entries under ASDDO: 65.45 lakh as permanently shifted, 16.40 lakh as deceased, 15.17 lakh as absent, 7.10 lakh as already enrolled or duplicate and 3.84 lakh under other reasons.
Separately, 43,81,335 voters were identified under anomaly/logical discrepancy and no-mapping categories and are to receive notices. Chief Electoral Officer V Anbukkumar said notices would specify the reason, hearing details and documents required, with voters given an opportunity to establish their eligibility.
He has also said voters listed as absent or shifted can use Forms 6 and 8, while special camps would be organised in areas with high ASDDO numbers. The claims-and-objections period runs until September 23, and the final electoral roll is scheduled for October 27, 2026.
Importantly, the ASDDO figure should not automatically be read as a final list of people permanently barred from voting: the process includes opportunities for claims, corrections and verification.
There have, however, been documented instances that have strengthened concerns about verification. Earlier in August, the CEO’s office said 2.41 lakh voters were rolled back from the ASDDO list after verification, including more than 95,000 people who had been wrongly categorised as shifted and over 85,000 wrongly marked absent.
CEO Anbukkumar said the lists had been published precisely to help identify such mistakes and that political parties and booth-level officers were involved in verification.
On September 1, meanwhile, 61-year-old Mangaluru resident Donald Joseph Rego reported that he had been wrongly classified as dead despite having submitted his enumeration form. KS Dayanand, tahsildar (elections), said the complaint had been received and brought to the Election Commission’s notice, adding that the Commission would decide whether action should be taken against the official responsible.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
An accurate electoral roll is fundamental to a functioning democracy, and removing genuinely ineligible or duplicate entries is a legitimate administrative responsibility. At the same time, the process must be designed so that genuine voters are not pushed out because of an address change, a data-entry error, a missed visit by a booth-level officer or a lack of clarity about documentation.
The fact that more than two lakh entries were already restored after verification shows why scrutiny, transparency and accessible correction mechanisms matter. At the same time, the Election Commission’s stated safeguards and opportunities for claims should also be communicated clearly so that legitimate concerns do not become unnecessary fear among voters.
Also read: Varanasi Faces Rising Flood Threat as Ganga Surges Past Warning Mark, Boat Services Halted
