Bengaluru: As many as 46.88 lakh voters in Bengaluru have been identified under the absent, shifted, dead, duplicate and others (ASDDO) category as part of the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Karnataka.
The figure represents around 45 per cent of the city’s 1.03 crore voters enrolled before the SIR exercise. Across Karnataka, more than 1.07 crore electors have been placed in the ASDDO category, accounting for 19.47 per cent of the state’s 5.54 crore voters.
The data assumes political significance in Bengaluru, where the 28 Assembly constituencies are divided between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress. Fifteen constituencies are currently represented by BJP MLAs, while the Congress holds 12 seats. Yeshwanthpur MLA ST Somashekhar, who was expelled from the BJP, is presently unattached.
16 lakh voters to be deleted in Congress-held seats
The 15 BJP-held constituencies together account for 27.69 lakh voters in the ASDDO category, while the 12 Congress constituencies have 16.79 lakh such voters.
Bengaluru South has recorded the highest ASDDO count among the city’s constituencies, with 3.63 lakh voters. The constituency is represented by BJP MLA M Krishnappa. Shivajinagar has the lowest figure at 81,236 voters and is represented by Congress MLA and Food and Civil Supplies Minister Rizwan Arshad.
The findings have triggered political reactions.
Rajajinagar BJP MLA S Suresh Kumar said the figures indicated possible inflation of electoral rolls in the city, which he linked to Bengaluru’s historically low voter turnout.
Congress MLA Dinesh Gundu Rao, representing Gandhinagar, where 1.12 lakh voters figure in the ASDDO list, expressed concern over the scale of the exclusions and said the final implications would become clearer after the draft rolls are published.
The Election Commission is scheduled to publish the draft electoral rolls on August 24. Voters will be able to submit claims and objections until September 23, while the final rolls are expected on October 27.
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