ECI orders probe into Form-7 fraud charge after Karnataka CM Shivakumar’s protest

The Election Commission of India (ECI) ordered a probe into the filing of Form-7s in bulk seeking deletions of names from final electoral rolls following a five-hour protest by Karnataka Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar and his Cabinet colleagues.

Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka, V. Anbu Kumar, directed all Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) to take action against applicants who “knowingly” make false statements or declarations while filing claims or objections in Forms 6, 6A, 7 and 8.

Mr. Shivakumar withdrew the protest after the announcement.

Earlier in the day, he alleged that “pre-filled” Form-7s were filed in bulk across the State by the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal (Secular) workers, targeting Muslims, members of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes, claiming they had either “shifted” or were “absent”.

The Chief Minister said many Form-7s were either false or forged. In at least two instances, in Belagavi and Vijayapura, BJP workers who filed Form-7s in bulk withdrew those after being warned of punitive action if the claims were found to be false. In a written declaration, they said they had made a mistake.

Karnataka Police registered five FIRs on Thursday (October 1, 2026) over bulk Form-7s invoking the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, 2023, and not the Representation of the People Act, 1951, as only EC officials can lodge complaints under the latter. Mr. Shivakumar demanded that poll body must take suo motu action and lodge criminal complaints.

Mr. Anbu Kumar noted that there were instances of bulk filing of Form-7 applications before the EROs and that some of the forms were “alleged to be not genuine” and directed the EROs to take action under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, “against applicants found to have knowingly made false statements or declarations.”

“However, such action shall be preceded by an inquiry under Rule 20 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960,” he said.

The BJP backed its workers for filing Form-7s, saying that it was not a crime to flag voters suspected to be not genuine.

Earlier in the day, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, took to social media citing The Hindu’s report on how Form-7 applications were being filed against Muslim names in Belagavi and other districts in bulk, and said it was yet another proof of “vote theft”.

“Select people are targeted as BJP and EC officials collude to fill out Form 7 in bulk through automated means, and in the blink of an eye, millions vanish from the voter list. And all of this is controlled from the top,” he said.

Mr. Shivakumar also cited the report at a press conference.