The Karnataka government is considering legal action on SIR

HK Patil | Photo credit: file photo

The Karnataka government is mulling legal action over the Special Intensive Review (SIR) being conducted by the Election Commission of India in the state since June 20, even as the Congress is likely to hold a brainstorming session with its leaders on May 24. Following this, the government is expected to spell out its concrete plans.

Sources said the Congress has called all its legislators, former legislators, defeated candidates, leaders and heads of front organizations for a meeting at a resort near Bengaluru where the SIR will be discussed in detail.

The participants in the meeting include Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and Congress general secretary in charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala, sources said.

Meanwhile, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil told reporters in his post-cabinet briefing that the government would finalize its plan in four or five days.

“Cabinet discussed in detail the SIR and the legal options that are open. The Election Commission has immunity. We discussed whether we can take the case to the Supreme Court and ask the apex court to get the final voter list. Several other points regarding the SIR were discussed, including some that are already in the public domain,” he said.

A Bengali example

Stating that SIR relates to the voting rights of citizens, the law minister said, “In the light of 27 million voters struck out in West Bengal and incidents reported in other states, no citizen in Karnataka should lose his right to vote without reason, intentionally and unnecessarily. In the name of SIR, many opaque but opaque situations were created. There were no courts in Bihar too, there were no courts. He resigned. every effort would be made here to ensure that citizens’ rights are not trampled upon.”

Areas of concern

Sources said the Congress was worried about deletions, especially in districts like Kodagu, Raichur, Yadgir, Chikkamagaluru and Davangere, from where migration was high and where there was great concern about people being left out of the voter mapping conducted before the SIR. The 2025 voter list mapping was the reference list along with the 2002 election data when the last SIR was conducted. In the case of posterity, the only basis was the 2025 electoral roll.

Mr. Patil said the government is yet to decide on the issues to take to the Supreme Court. “The negotiations remained incomplete and a decision will be taken in the next four or five days,” he said.

Published – 21 May 2026 22:19 IST