Though official figures show that 100% of enumeration forms have been distributed, several people whose names appear on the 2025 electoral rolls in Kodagu district and parts of Bengaluru said they have not received the forms.

While in Virajpet taluk of Kodagu, several residents said they were told that their names had been deleted from the electoral roll, though they have a voter ID. In parts of Bengaluru, residents reported that Booth Level Officers (BLOs) had not visited their homes to distribute the forms, leaving them to trace their BLOs using their EPIC numbers. Many said they were unable to contact the BLOs or obtain the forms altogether.

In Bengaluru, complaints were reported from Byatarayanapura, Hebbal-Kempapura, and slum pockets such as D.J. Halli and Bhangi Colony.

Krishna Kumar, a resident of Byatarayanapura, said they could neither fill the form online because of glitches nor contact the BLO, as the official concerned was not answering calls. The resident added that many in the locality had not received the forms, while those who did either collected them from a nearby government school after contacting the BLO or submitted them online.

The complaints came largely from apartment complexes and slum areas, where many residents said they had yet to get their enumeration forms.

Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer V. Anbu Kumar has maintained that all voters whose names were on the electoral roll as of June 16 — when the rolls were frozen ahead of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) to maintain an unchanged baseline — have been issued enumeration forms. Dismissing the claims, the CEO said no instances of eligible voters being denied forms had been reported and that all forms had been distributed.

However, members of tribal communities in Balugodu and B. Shettigeri in Virajpet told The Hindu that despite possessing valid voter documents, they had not received the forms. When contacted, the concerned BLO said at least 20 voters had reported the same to her, saying they had not been given enumeration forms, while maintaining that she had distributed all the forms allotted to her.

From pillar to post

“Initially, the BLO told us that we had been shifted to another polling booth. However, when we approached the booths we were directed to, officials there said our names had been deleted from the electoral roll,” the affected voters said. These residents also shared their documents, including their EPIC cards and voter IDs, with The Hindu.

Residents said they have been moving from one gram panchayat and polling booth to another, unsure of where they are enrolled or where they should collect the forms. Many said they are daily-wage labourers who have had to forgo work and wages while trying to trace their names and complete the SIR process.

Even during the pre-enumeration mapping exercise, the same belt had reported multiple problems. For instance, BLOs were unable to map even a single resident in Kedamulur and the surrounding plantation belts.

Those who did receive the forms alleged that BLOs had filled in both sides of the enumeration form themselves, which is wrong as per the procedure and will lead to discrepancies. Of around 40 forms that people from the mentioned areas shared, only one had been filled correctly.

Voters said BLOs asked them only to sign the forms, assuring them that their families had already been mapped and that the remaining details would be filled in later, with photographs to be shared. However, in the photographs shared, in most cases both sides of the forms had been filled.

Officials have said notices will be generated in cases where 2002 details are not furnished. However, members of the Adivasi Sangharsh Morcha said many plantation workers do not possess these documents or old records because employers often retain them and do not return them when workers leave. Frequent migration between plantations has also meant that many families do not have proof of permanent residence.

Published - July 31, 2026 06:01 am IST