SIR: KRMO flags higher voter deletions in Muslim-dominated constituencies

The statement also cited the 10 constituencies represented by Muslim MLAs where deletions were particularly high.

The Karnataka Rajya Muslim Okkoota (KRMO) has demanded an explanation from the Election Commission of India (ECI) over the deletion of names from electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), pointing to a higher deletion rate in constituencies represented by Muslim MLAs and a disproportionate share of Muslims among those classified as absent or duplicates and subsequently deleted.

In a statement issued on Monday, the organisation said an analysis of booth-level data released by the ECI, carried out by political research consultancy Sankalp, showed that 27.59% of voters had been deleted across the 10 Assembly constituencies represented by Muslim MLAs in Karnataka. This was higher than the State average of 19.45%.

The 10 constituencies had a total of 9,62,359 Muslim voters in the 2025 electoral rolls, of whom 2,46,759, or 25.64%, were deleted during the revision. Across 64 Muslim-dominated constituencies, more than 8.80 lakh Muslim voters were removed, the organisation said.

Of the 15,15,088 voters deleted as absent across Karnataka, 2,58,770 were Muslims. Similarly, 1,43,940 of the 7,08,666 voters removed under the “already enrolled elsewhere” category were Muslims, KRMO said, citing Sankalp’s data.

It argued that, unlike deaths, which can be verified through official records, the classification of people as absent or already enrolled elsewhere depends significantly on the assessment of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and other field officials. KRMO questioned whether adequate verification had been carried out before such names were removed and said there was no publicly available information on the number of visits made to the homes of people classified as absent.

The statement also cited the 10 constituencies represented by Muslim MLAs where deletions were particularly high.

Bengaluru’s Chamarajpet recorded 1,07,722 deletions, followed by Kalaburagi North with 1,05,257, Narasimharaja in Mysuru with 99,367, and Shivajinagar in Bengaluru with 81,230.

Besides seeking an explanation, the organisation demanded that the SIR be scrapped, that the previous electoral rolls be used for future elections, and that a comprehensive judicial inquiry be conducted into the exercise. It also sought legal action against officials found responsible for irregularities.