Actor and former independent Lok Sabha candidate Prakash Raj on Tuesday claimed that his name was among those affected by the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Karnataka. The actor alleged that his voting rights had been removed from the Bengaluru constituency, questioning the process and saying he would find out what documents were required to restore his voter registration.
Prakash Raj had contested the 2019 Lok Sabha election as an Independent candidate from Bengaluru Central constituency. He subsequently remained an outspoken critic of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and has frequently commented on political and electoral issues.
According to data released by the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Karnataka, 1,09,83,901 electors, or 19.81 per cent of the state's 5,54,32,314 electors, had been identified under the ASDDO category during the enumeration process. Being included in the ASDDO category does not by itself mean that a voter's name has been finally deleted from the electoral roll. The revision process provides opportunities for claims and objections before the final rolls are published.
The Election Commission has extended the enumeration deadline for Karnataka. Under the revised schedule, the house-to-house enumeration phase will continue until August 17, while the draft electoral rolls are scheduled to be published on August 24.
Prakash Raj also referred to a recent legal case involving allegations that he possessed multiple voter identity cards. Last month, he secured conditional bail after a Bengaluru court issued a non-bailable warrant in connection with the case. The complaint alleged that he possessed four voter ID cards, reportedly associated with Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
In his video message, Prakash Raj questioned what documentation he would need to provide to establish his eligibility to vote. He also criticised the possibility of voters losing their voting rights during the revision exercise and said that political power could not prevent citizens from exercising their democratic rights.
At this stage, Prakash Raj's assertion that his voting right has been deleted remains his claim. The publication of the draft rolls and the subsequent claims-and-objections process will provide voters with an opportunity to check their entries and seek corrections or restoration where required.
