Karnataka minister's defence of SIR leaves Congress in tight spot ahead of Nov 1 Delhi protest

Bengaluru: The ruling Congress in Karnataka was caught in an embarrassing row on Thursday after Public Works Department Minister Satish Jarkiholi defended the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists, just days ahead of the INDIA bloc’s planned protest in New Delhi on November 1.

Jarkiholi said the Congress never opposed the exercise in Karnataka, but had only raised concerns over its roll-out in states like West Bengal, Maharashtra, and Bihar.

“Due to proper training and groundwork, the revision was done correctly in Karnataka. We want other states to follow the same model,” Jarkiholi said on Wednesday. When asked about the deletion of around one crore names, he said the removals mainly covered duplicate entries, deceased persons, and voters who had relocated.


However, his statement triggered immediate pushback from within the Shivakumar cabinet. Home Minister Priyank Kharge rejected the clean chit, pointing to the alleged irregularities in Kalaburagi and Vijayapura districts. Kharge alleged that pre-filled Form 7 applications—used to delete names—were filed in bulk without verification.

“In Vijayapura, over 40 to 50 living people were marked dead on paper. They had to visit local offices in person to prove they were alive. Similar issues have surfaced across the state, and this pattern needs a thorough probe,” Kharge Jr said.

The opposition BJP quickly seized on the disagreement. In a post on X, the party said local Congress leaders were contradicting Rahul Gandhi’s campaign against the Election Commission. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra noted that while the central Congress leadership claims the process is rigged, its own state minister found nothing wrong with it.

The development brings back memories of August last year, when Cooperation Minister KN Rajanna was asked to step down after he openly questioned the high command’s line on "vote theft."