Karnataka removes over 99 lakh names from voter rolls in cleanup drive

Karnataka has completed a major purge of its voter list, removing over 99.32 lakh names in what officials describe as a systematic identification of ineligible registrations. The state's electorate now stands at 4,55,00,011 voters, a significant reduction from the previous tally of 5,54,32,314.

The exercise, known as the Special Inclusion-cum-Exclusion (SIR) process, represents one of the most comprehensive electoral roll reviews undertaken by the state. The initiative aimed to identify and remove duplicate entries, deceased voters, and those who had relocated outside their respective constituencies.

Electoral officials attributed the large number of deletions to periodic migration, deaths, and administrative errors that had accumulated over multiple election cycles. The corrected voter rolls are expected to provide a more accurate snapshot of eligible voters across the state's parliamentary and assembly constituencies.

The revision of voter rolls is a routine exercise conducted by the Election Commission to maintain the integrity of electoral processes. Karnataka's updated figures reflect the dynamic nature of the electorate, with continuous changes due to demographic shifts and voter mobility across regions.