Bengaluru, May 15 (IANS) The Chief Electoral Officer, Karnataka V. Anbukumar, has stated that 59,050 Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will be involved in the revision process across the State. The Special Intensive Revision is expected to cover approximately 5,55,74,064 electors in Karnataka as of May 12, 2026.

The Chief Electoral Officer’s office has appealed to voters to cooperate fully with BLOs during the house-to-house verification exercise.

It may be noted that the Election Commission of India (ECI) has directed the conduct of a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Karnataka as part of a nationwide revision exercise covering 16 States and three Union Territories.

According to a statement issued by the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Karnataka, the revision in the State will be undertaken with reference to the qualifying date of October 1, 2026, as notified by the ECI on May 14, 2026.

The revision process in Karnataka will commence with preparation, training, and printing activities from June 20 to June 29, 2026. House-to-house visits by Booth Level Officers (BLOs) for the distribution and collection of enumeration forms will be carried out from June 30 to July 29, 2026.

The rationalisation of polling stations will be completed by July 29, while the draft electoral roll will be published on August 5, 2026.

The period for filing claims and objections has been scheduled from August 5 to September 4, 2026. The notice phase and disposal of claims and objections will continue till October 3, 2026, and the final electoral roll will be published on October 7, 2026.

The Election Commission described the revision exercise as a participative and transparent process involving electors, political parties, and election officials. During the revision, BLOs will conduct house-to-house visits for distributing and collecting enumeration forms.

At present, 25,284 Booth Level Agents (BLAs) have been appointed by recognised political parties. The Commission has urged all recognised political parties to appoint BLAs for every polling station to ensure active participation and transparency in the process.

Further details regarding the revision process, forms, and schedules will be made available on the official websites of the District Election Officers, the Chief Electoral Officer, Karnataka, and the Election Commission of India.

The statement also noted that under Section 14(b) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, the qualifying dates for preparation or revision of electoral rolls are January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1 of the relevant year.

Referring to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Siddaramaiah said the exercise would soon begin in Karnataka. “We will also make the necessary preparations for the exercise,” he added.

–IANS

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