Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Monday urged all eligible voters in the state to compulsorily participate in the SIR of electoral rolls beginning on June 30.
Ahead of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, he cautioned people that failure to submit the enumeration form within the stipulated period could result in the loss of voting rights and create difficulties in accessing government welfare benefits.
Addressing a press conference here, Shivakumar said the Karnataka government had put in place an extensive support system, including thousands of facilitation centres, helplines and online services, to assist voters during the month-long exercise being undertaken by the Election Commission.
Shivakumar stressed that Congress workers should reach out to migrant workers and other voters to ensure their names remain on the voter list.
He also addressed the power-sharing arrangement within the Karnataka Congress government, stating he had honoured the initial understanding when the administration was formed. “I went with Siddaramaiah. Whatever was said about the handover, I worked according to it. I was patient. I did not make a single statement. The transfer of power took place as expected,” he said.
The remarks come amid the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee’s (KPCC) statewide campaign regarding the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Earlier this month, the KPCC announced a series of awareness programmes under the banner “Congress Nade Matadarara Kadege” (Congress March Towards Voters) aimed at educating citizens about the revision process and encouraging voter participation.
The Congress has accused the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government of influencing the Election Commission in a manner that could affect voter lists and democratic procedures. The party has formed an SIR Voter List Review Committee and scheduled awareness meetings across Karnataka, including locations such as Mangaluru, Hubballi, Mysuru, Kalaburagi, and Bengaluru, from June 23 to June 30.
