CH NEWS
BENGALURU
Actor Prakash Raj has accused Karnataka election authorities of a “cover-up” over his voter registration status in Bengaluru amid the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. Raj had claimed on August 11 that his name was deleted from the electoral rolls.
Election officials later clarified that his registration remained active in the Shantinagar Assembly constituency. They said a Booth Level Officer’s door-to-door verification found that Raj had shifted from his previously registered address at Garden Apartments four years ago. His status was subsequently marked as “Permanently shifted”, officials said, advising him to submit Form 6 to register his new address.
In a follow-up video, Raj challenged the explanation, alleging that officials changed their position only after his post gained widespread attention. He claimed officials initially told him that a mistake had occurred and later changed the website status from “Permanently shifted” to “Shifted”.
Raj also questioned the circumstances surrounding a late-evening visit by the BLO to his former residence, describing it as “natak and drama”. He alleged that the exercise was conducted to create footage portraying him as being at fault.
The actor said the issue was not merely about his voter registration but about the dignity and rights of citizens during electoral verification. He questioned whether ordinary voters would receive similar attention and said he would release more videos and hold a press conference.
“This fight is about the dignity of a citizen, of standing in queues, asking us to stand in queues.” Prakash Raj, Actor
SIR voter row
- Aug 11: Raj claimed his name was deleted
- SIR: Special Intensive Revision underway
- Status: “Permanently shifted” later changed to “Shifted”
- Form 6: Advised for address update
- Constituency: Shantinagar Assembly
What election officials said
Election authorities said Raj’s voter registration remained active and denied arbitrary deletion. A Booth Level Officer verified his previous address and found that he had moved away four years ago. Officials said his status was marked “Permanently shifted” following the verification and advised him to submit Form 6 to register his current address. Raj disputed the explanation, alleging officials changed the status only after his public protest gained widespread attention.