Bengaluru Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on September 24, 2026 sought a fresh SIR of electoral rolls and called for the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar amid a row over reported differences within the poll panel over decision-making process.
Speaking to reporters against the backdrop of a media report that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally recorded objections at least 14 times over the last 10 months, Mr. Shivakumar said the reported differences raised serious questions about the country’s democratic system.
“Today, in the democratic system, two out of the three members have expressed their disagreement. The right to vote, which is meant to protect every individual and their livelihood, has today been compromised,” he charged.
Mr. Shivakumar said the issue of alleged “Vote Chori” (vote theft) had been raised by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi from Bengaluru, and asserted that the right to vote belonged to every citizen.
He alleged that more than one crore names had been deleted from Karnataka’s electoral rolls for various reasons. He said he had sought more time for the exercise and that the finalisation of the State’s voter list should precede any further action.
“Let our voter list be finalised. After that, whatever way we have to raise our voice and fight on this issue, I will certainly continue to do so,” he said.
“We want a new SIR to be conducted. We want everyone to have their rights,” he said, adding that the issue should be debated at length, including in the Parliament. — PTI
