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Karnataka Deputy CM alleges SIR targets SC BC minorities votes Congress says they will be protected
Politics
Published on 15 May 2026
He claims SIR is meant to cut votes
Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar says the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is being rolled out to “cut” Scheduled Caste, backward class and minority votes. Speaking in Bengaluru, the Congress leader vowed the state Congress government will ensure those voters are “protected,” while urging party leaders to coordinate and even claim votes across parties. The Election Commission has announced phase-3 SIR in 16 states and three Union Territories from May 30, involving 36.73 crore voters; Karnataka’s final roll is due October 7.
- DK Shivakumar accuses SIR of targeting SC BC and minority votes
- He pledges the Congress will protect affected voters’ rights
- EC’s phase-3 SIR begins May 30 across 16 states and 3 UTs
- The exercise covers 36.73 crore voters in total
- Karnataka final voters’ roll will be released on October 7
- Critics call SIR undemocratic and unscientific, claiming voters get pushed out
Read the full story at The Economic Times
This summarization was done by Beige for a story published on 
The Economic Times