SIR: KRMO reports higher voter deletion in Muslim-dominated constituencies

The statement also cited 10 constituencies represented by Muslim MLAs where the cuts were particularly high. | Photo credit: File photo

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

In a statement issued on Monday, the organization said an analysis of booth-level data released by the ECI, conducted by political research consultancy Sankalp, showed that 27.59% voters were deregistered in 10 assembly constituencies represented by Muslim MLAs in Karnataka. This was higher than the national average of 19.45%.

In 10 constituencies, there were a total of 9,62,359 Muslim voters in the electoral rolls in 2025, of which 2,46,759 or 25.64% were deleted during the revision. More than 8.80 million Muslim voters were eliminated in 64 Muslim-majority constituencies, the organization said.

Of the 15,15,088 voters struck as absent across Karnataka, 2,58,770 were Muslims. Similarly, 1,43,940 of the 7,08,666 voters taken in the ‘already enrolled elsewhere’ category were Muslims, KRMO said citing Sankalp data.

It argued that unlike deaths which can be verified through official records, the classification of persons as absent or already enrolled elsewhere depends significantly on the assessment of booth level officers (BLOs) and other field officers. KRMO questioned whether sufficient verification was done before such names were removed, saying there was no publicly available information on the number of home visits to people classified as absent.

The statement also cited 10 constituencies represented by Muslim MLAs where the cuts 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 organization demanded scrapping of the SIR, use of previous electoral rolls for future elections and a comprehensive judicial inquiry into the exercise. It also demanded legal action against officials found responsible for the irregularities.

Published – November 9, 2026 10:18 PM IST