Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on October 2 welcomed the Election Commission of India’s directive for a special drive to enrol voters left out of the Special Intensive Revision.

The ECI asked authorities in states where the SIR is complete to identify and enrol eligible voters who were missed. Special booth-level camps will be organised for first-time voters and vulnerable groups.

Shivakumar called the directive a victory for voters across the country. He said it was also a victory against attempts to deprive eligible voters of their rights.

The directive followed a Congress-led protest outside the Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer’s office in Bengaluru on October 1. Shivakumar and cabinet colleagues staged a dharna alleging irregularities.

The Chief Minister has alleged that the BJP and JD(S) conspired to delete the names of voters from Dalit and minority communities through bulk Form 7 applications. The CEO has ordered criminal cases against bulk deletion filers.

BJP state president B Y Vijayendra challenged Shivakumar to prove the allegations or resign. He said BJP workers would not be intimidated by FIR threats over Form 7 applications.