Karnataka CM DK Shivakumar accuses BJP of targeting poor voters through Form 7

Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday alleged that attempts were being made to remove poor people from electoral rolls and claimed BJP leaders were trying to win elections through such a strategy.

He said his government would protect the voting rights of all citizens, including minorities, Dalits and backward classes, amid the controversy over bulk Form 7 applications seeking deletion of names from the voter list.

Shivakumar also used the occasion to outline a series of welfare and governance measures, including doorstep delivery of services through the Praja Seva Department, pension relief, distribution of residential sites to poor people, support for drought-hit farmers, and action on land-related grievances.

Addressing a Praja Seva Department programme at Piriyapatna in Mysuru district, Shivakumar said, "Some BJP workers, friends and leaders had submitted applications seeking deletion of people's voting rights, including those of poor people. We have also taken up the fight to ensure that no person's vote is deleted without proper documentation."

He said that BJP and JD(S) leaders were trying to win elections by depriving poor people of their voting rights and said such a move was against the Constitution. He added that the government had conveyed its concerns to the Election Commission.

The chief minister said the Praja Seva Department had been launched recently to take government services to people's doorsteps and resolve grievances without requiring them to visit government offices.

"The government must reach the doorstep of the people," he said, adding that ministers, MLAs and officials had been directed to visit every taluk twice a month, on the first and third Saturdays, and receive applications from people at the panchayat level.

According to Shivakumar, the department, launched on September 5, has already held programmes at about 620 locations and received applications from more than one lakh people.

He said most grievances were related to the Revenue, Rural Development and Urban Development departments.

He added that applications would be numbered and acknowledged, and officials would be monitored to ensure timely disposal.

A legal aid counter would also be opened to provide free help to people facing legal hurdles.

He said the decision to raise the annual income ceiling for pension eligibility from Rs 32,000 to Rs 1.20 lakh had benefited around 12 lakh people whose pensions had been stopped.

He also announced a plan to provide residential sites to five lakh poor people in the first phase, and directed Deputy Commissioners to identify government land and create new layouts wherever needed.

Referring to drought, Shivakumar said 217 taluks had been affected and that the government was planning a new programme called "Negilu Yogi" to assist farmers. Two taluks in each district would be selected for the scheme, he said.

He also launched Bharat Jodo Youth Associations to encourage people in the 16-35 age group to take part in sports, cultural activities, environmental work and other community efforts. Each panchayat would get Rs 10 lakh under the programme, he said.

Shivakumar said the government was reviewing reports of alleged misuse of its Gruha Lakshmi and Gruha Jyothi guarantee schemes. He described the proposed "Bhoomi Guarantee" as a sixth guarantee and said the government would focus on providing khatas and proper property documents, completing land subdivision or phodi, and addressing other land-related issues.

He added that around Rs 3,500 crore had been allocated under the employment guarantee programme and urged people to use the scheme to develop their land and create community assets.

"We have created a system where, if officials or MLAs are unable to meet you, officials will come to your doorstep, and MLAs will also come to you," he said.

He added that he would himself travel to different constituencies twice every month to receive grievance petitions and monitor their disposal.

"I have said from the very first day that I am not merely the chief minister; I am a people's servant," Shivakumar said, adding that people should not have to go around government offices or pay bribes to get their problems addressed.

He also directed officials to speed up disposal of applications filed under the Forest Rights Act and other land-rights provisions, while asking people not to resort to encroachment. "Nobody should evict you illegally. I will issue such directions," he said.

Speaking to reporters at another event on the Form 7 deletion applications, Shivakumar said the Election Commission had directed officials to verify each case before deleting any voter from the rolls. "The Chief Electoral Officer (V Anbukkumar) has sent a message to poll officials asking not to delete anything and to verify every single case. I am happy about that," he said.

He added that the EC had also asked officials to examine errors in the existing voter lists, particularly those affecting minorities, Dalits, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and economically vulnerable people.

Asked whether the state government would order a separate investigation into the alleged misuse of Form 7, he said, "Let us see what comes out of this". On the possibility of cases being filed against him for allegedly staging a sit-in on the steps of the CEO's office on Thursday, Shivakumar said he abides by the law.

"If I have committed any mistake under the law, let them file a case. Let us follow the law as the law says. Let us respect the law," he said. He added that he had not staged any demonstration and had only waited for a positive reply on his complaint to the CEO to initiate action against those who had misused Form 7.