DK Shivakumar's Ominous Warning As Karnataka SIR Begins: 'Lose Voting Rights, Lose Government Benefits'

Last Updated:June 30, 2026, 11:46 IST

The Election Commission's house-to-house enumeration exercise will continue across Karnataka until July 29.

As the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls began across Karnataka on Tuesday, Chief Minister DK Shivakumar urged people to ensure that their names remain on the voters’ list, warning that losing voting rights could also affect access to government benefits.

Calling voting a fundamental right, Shivakumar said, “The right to vote is the right to live."

Referring to the SIR developments in West Bengal, he said, “In West Bengal, an order has been issued to verify and delete all ineligible ration beneficiaries based on SIR. Similar measures are being taken by other states. If you lose the right to vote, you’ll lose government benefits."

The Election Commission’s house-to-house enumeration exercise will continue across Karnataka until July 29.

K’taka permanent residential certificates

Ahead of the revision exercise, the Karnataka government announced that it would issue permanent residential certificates to help citizens complete the SIR process.

The Revenue Department has issued detailed guidelines for issuing the certificates, which will serve as proof of residence.

Citizens can apply for the permanent residential certificate both online and offline. Online applications can be submitted through the Seva Sindhu portal, while offline applications can be made at citizen service centres, including Atal Jana Snehi Kendras or Nadakacheris, Bengaluru One, Karnataka One and Grama One centres.

Over 5.5 crore voters to be covered

Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer Anbukumar said the revision exercise will cover more than 5.5 crore electors across the state.

He said 59,050 Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have been trained and deployed for the exercise, along with 7,556 BLO Supervisors, 224 Electoral Registration Officers and 336 Assistant Electoral Registration Officers. More than 1.1 lakh Booth Level Agents appointed by political parties have also been trained.

“We have already printed two sets of Enumeration Forms for more than 5.5 crore voters, and the forms have reached all the BLOs. From Tuesday morning, the BLOs will start visiting the houses of voters and distributing the forms," Anbukumar said.

How the enumeration will be carried out

The BLOs will visit every household to distribute Enumeration Forms to electors whose names were on the electoral roll as on June 16, 2026.

Homes where forms have been distributed will be marked with a violet square sticker, while locked houses will receive a red round sticker. Wherever necessary, BLOs will make at least three visits to collect the completed forms.

The Election Commission has clarified that no documents will be collected during the enumeration phase.

“I request the voters to kindly receive the form, fill it out and sign it, and hand it back to the BLO," Anbukumar said.

Seeking to reassure the public, he added, “The entire process will be done as per the directions of the Election Commission of India, and it will be as per the law. So, I request people not to have any misgivings."

He also said the Chief Electoral Officer’s office would issue daily updates on the progress of the exercise.

According to the Election Commission’s schedule, the draft electoral roll will be published on August 5. Claims and objections can be submitted until September 4, while the final electoral roll will be published on October 7.

About the Author

Shuddhanta Patra

Shuddhanta Patra, a seasoned journalist with eight years of experience, serves as Senior Sub‑Editor at CNN News 18. With expertise across national politics, geopolitics, business news, she has influen...Read More

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