Voter deletion forms targeting Muslims surface in Karnataka city

Allegations of voter suppression have emerged in Belagavi, Karnataka, after booth-level officers (BLOs) reported receiving Form-7 applications—used for deletion of names from electoral rolls—that appeared to selectively target Muslim voters. The officers said they were pressured to endorse the applications by two men who identified themselves as representatives of the Belagavi City Corporation. Multiple BLOs have stated they were compelled to sign off on the bulk submissions despite concerns about the pattern of deletions. Form-7 applications are legitimate voter registration documents, but their use to systematically remove names of citizens from a particular religious or community group would raise serious questions about the electoral process. The incident has sparked concerns among election observers and civil society groups monitoring voter registration practices in the state. Authorities have not yet issued an official statement regarding the allegations or confirmed the identity of the individuals who presented the applications to the BLOs.