Karnataka voters marked 'shifted' despite living at same address

Several voters in Karnataka have flagged a troubling anomaly in the electoral rolls — their names have been marked as 'shifted' even though they continue to live at the same address. The issue has come to light in multiple constituencies, with affected citizens filing complaints with the Election Commission.

Reports from Bengaluru and other districts indicate that the deletion often happened during routine house-to-house verification by booth-level officers (BLOs). Residents say they were never contacted before their names were removed.

How the error occurred

According to voters who spoke to The Hindu, the 'shifted' tag appeared without any prior notice or verification. In some cases, entire families found their names missing from the rolls when they checked online.

One resident of Rajajinagar, who has lived in the same house for over 15 years, said his name was marked as 'shifted' despite voting in the previous election from the same booth. Officials have not yet clarified how many such cases have been reported across the state.

Impact on voter turnout

Election analysts warn that such errors could disenfranchise legitimate voters, especially in urban areas where residents move frequently. However, in this instance, the voters claim they never relocated.

The Election Commission of India has acknowledged the complaints and said it will investigate. A senior official stated that voters can file Form 6 to get their names restored, but many complain the process is slow.

Political reactions

Opposition parties have seized on the issue, alleging a deliberate attempt to suppress votes. The Congress and JD(S) have demanded a comprehensive review of the electoral rolls in affected constituencies.

State election authorities have denied any foul play, attributing the errors to data entry mistakes during the summary revision of rolls. They have urged voters to check their names on the voter portal and report discrepancies immediately.

What happens next

The Election Commission is expected to issue a directive to all booth-level officers to re-verify flagged entries before the final publication of rolls. Officials have not set a deadline for the correction process.

Voter rights groups are calling for an independent audit of the electoral database. With state elections on the horizon, the accuracy of the rolls remains a critical concern for both political parties and citizens.