Election Commission Rejects BJP MLA Bid For Bulk Voter Deletion In Belagavi

Belagavi: ECI officials reject BJP MLA's request for scrutiny and deletion of 2,598 votes

Election Commission of India (ECI) officers in charge of Special Intensive Revision have officially rejected the demand from BJP leader Abhay Patil to scrutinize and delete approximately 2,598 voters. M. Karthik, who serves as Belagavi city corporation commissioner and Electoral Registration Officer (ERO), responded via letter stating that no legal provision exists under the SIR process for bulk scrutiny or deletion of votes.

In his correspondence dated September 19, Mr. Patil alleged that Booth Level Agents in his constituency had identified over 2,598 bogus voters, providing specific details regarding their part numbers and booth numbers to support the claim. He formally requested SIR officers to examine Forms 6 and 7 submitted by these suspect electors and remove them from rolls if found false.

M. Karthik clarified that while bulk deletion is not permissible under current regulations, individual Booth Level Agents (BLAs) retain the right to file objections against doubtful elector inclusion through concerned Booth Level Officers. The ECI officer emphasized that Mr. Patil lacks locus standi in sending a letter directly to SIR officials seeking mass voter deletions from his position as an MLA.

B.K. Hariprasad, MLC and KPCC chairman, raised objections to the allegations made by Mr. Patil regarding bogus voters during this process. Despite these procedural rejections, Mr. Patil spoke to reporters in Belagavi on Friday (September 25, 2026) denying that he sought bulk deletion of any electors' names from official records.

"I have not asked for deletion of names of any elector," Mr. Patil stated when addressing the media. He reiterated his position by explaining that his request was specifically directed at conducting an inquiry into allegations regarding bogus voter inclusion rather than immediate removal. As a four-term MLA and Booth Level Agent number 1, he asserted his right to ensure clean elections through this scrutiny process.

"I am only asking SIR officers to conduct an inquiry, look into allegations of inclusion of bogus voters," Mr. Patil explained further. He argued that as both an elected representative and a key agent in constituency management, he bears responsibility for ensuring the integrity of voter rolls through his actions. This duty extends to expressing solidarity with BLA 2 and other associates who conducted door-to-door tracing operations to identify false voters.

The core issue revolves around specific objections filed by Deepak Patil, identified as BLA 2, along with his team's findings of false voters in the constituency. These agents reportedly filed formal objections through Form 7 addressed to respective Booth Level Officers (BLOs) based on their investigations. However, Mr. Patil claimed that BLOs failed to act upon these specific objections despite receiving them from his associates.

To rectify the perceived inaction by local officers, he submitted a letter alongside proof of all objections filed by BLAs within his constituency area. He maintained knowledge of electoral rules and insisted on exercising his rights as an elected representative to challenge potential irregularities. The dispute highlights ongoing tensions between political leaders regarding voter list accuracy during the pre-election revision period.

Mr. Patil indicated he would escalate matters by appealing directly to ECI if local SIR officers do not consider his objections within their current jurisdictional framework. His statement underscores a broader challenge faced by agents tasked with identifying bogus voters who may lack proper documentation or eligibility criteria for voting rights in the region.

Source: The Hindu