SIR: NDA defends bulk filing of Form 7, alleges ‘police intimidation’ by Congress; Karnataka CM hits back

Published - October 06, 2026 08:17 pm IST - Bengaluru

NDA leaders, led by Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R. Ashok and Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, along with BJP and JD(S) MPs, MLAs, MLCs and other party leaders, meet Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

Defending the filing of Form 7 applications (for objections and seeking deletions) in bulk, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), comprising the BJP and JD(S), submitted a complaint to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Tuesday, arguing that the Congress government was using the police machinery to intimidate BJP and JD(S) workers during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and that there was no bar on filing multiple Form 7 applications.

In their letter, the NDA said criminal cases were being registered against those filing Form 7 applications, with the Congress government creating “fear and apprehension” among objectors even when they were only exercising their “legitimate statutory right”.

The NDA cited an Election Commission of India statement dated January 16, 2026, and the Manual on Electoral Rolls, 2023 to argue that there was no restriction on the number of Form 7 applications that could be submitted to an ERO/AERO. It also pointed to provisions requiring objections to be cross-verified and said a Booth Level Agent (BLA) could file multiple Form 7 applications.

The alliance said the filing of an objection did not automatically result in the deletion of a name, as the ERO/AERO was required to follow the prescribed inquiry process.

The alliance alleged that the State government was using the police to intimidate objectors and that the cases were being filed under “political pressure”, specifically against BJP workers. It further alleged that even the CEO appeared to have “succumbed to the pressure”.

Biggest criminal conspiracy: CM

After the NDA alliance met the Karnataka CEO and the Governor, Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar hit back on Tuesday, saying that the parties were plotting “a big criminal conspiracy in the history of India” and that, in many places, BJP workers had withdrawn their Form 7 applications and submitted written apologies.

“It is BJP workers who distributed Form 7. They must reveal who instructed them and supplied the pre-filled forms. Now they are trying to protect their workers. The workers will have to disclose who gave them the forms, and that has to be investigated,” he said here.

“In Babaleshwar, represented by Minister M.B. Patil, BJP leaders themselves have admitted that they distributed the forms, acknowledged it was wrong and requested that no action be taken. What do BJP leaders have to say about that?” Mr. Shivakumar asked, adding that the Congress was collecting documents related to the matter.

“It is the duty of anyone who feels that their vote has been snatched away to file a complaint, and hence we went to the CEO. Earlier, they (the BJP) were involved in the Chilume Trust case (the NGO accused of involvement in the alleged voter data theft controversy). I know the strategies of both the BJP and JD(S). It is my duty to protect voters, including their voters, for the sake of democracy.”

Published - October 06, 2026 08:17 pm IST

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