No crime in submitting Form-7, says BJP
BJP State president B.Y. Vijayendra on Tuesday defended his party’s move to file objections against entries in the draft electoral rolls, saying the BJP had the right to flag names it suspected were added illegally and that the Election Commission of India (EC) would independently verify every complaint. “What is the crime in this?” he asked, asserting that the party would not be cowed by police cases.
BJP defends objections, cites EC verification
Vijayendra maintained that the process of raising objections to entries—commonly done through Form-7—is a lawful mechanism overseen by the EC and available to all stakeholders. “In the beginning, Muslim voters were pooled together in masjids and kalyana mantaps, officers also called to the spot, and voters were added to the list. There is a suspicion that illegal Bangladeshi immigrants have made it to the voter list in some constituencies. We have flagged them. The Election Commission of India (EC) will verify these applications and reject them if found to be false. What is the crime in this?” he said.
He added that First Information Reports (FIRs) would not deter BJP leaders from pursuing what the party describes as due process to ensure clean rolls ahead of elections.
Opposition BJP targets Congress over EC pressure, protests
Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R. Ashok accused the Congress of attempting to pressure the EC and of standing by “those who vote in multiple places.” He argued that the integrity of the rolls must be protected while ensuring that all eligible citizens retain their franchise. “Every genuine citizen must get his/her vote, but there are around two crore Pakistanis and Bangladeshis, who need to be sent back. The Congress needs to look at that as well,” he said, without providing evidence to substantiate the figure.
Ashok also criticized the Chief Minister for staging a protest “ignoring the affairs of the State, during a drought,” suggesting that the government’s focus should be on relief and administration rather than political demonstrations.
Union Minister calls CM’s move ‘diversionary tactic’
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, in a post on X, echoed the criticism of the Chief Minister’s protest, terming it a “diversionary tactic” and arguing that the government ought to concentrate on “burning issues such as drought.”
JD(S) questions Congress’s credibility on SIR
JD(S) leader and Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy launched a sharp attack on the Congress over its campaign against the SIR process, questioning the party’s credibility in raising allegations of electoral irregularities. He said the Congress was now protesting a process in which it had earlier participated when the SIR exercise began.
Alleging that Congress leaders had previously facilitated gatherings related to the revision of electoral rolls, he said, “The Congress leaders had earlier organised gatherings at marriage halls, community centres, and residential premises in connection with electoral rolls revision. Those who remained silent when we raised these issues are now suddenly speaking about irregularities.”
What happens next
According to Vijayendra, the EC will scrutinize every objection application—such as those filed through Form-7 seeking deletion or verification of entries—and will reject them if they are found to be baseless. The BJP has indicated it will continue to pursue its objections despite FIRs, while opposition leaders are expected to sustain pressure on the EC and the government over alleged irregularities and the handling of public crises.
As political parties trade charges over the integrity of the electoral rolls and the conduct of protests, the EC’s verification process will be central to determining the fate of the challenged entries and to addressing concerns raised across the political spectrum.
