Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Tuesday urged eligible citizens to participate in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, cautioning that those who do not retain their voting rights may find it difficult to access government welfare benefits in future.

Launching the SIR exercise by filling up his Enumeration Form at his Sadashivanagar residence, Mr. Shivakumar said some States had already begun linking welfare benefits to voter status and Karnataka could also move in that direction.

“All citizens must safeguard their voting rights. If they do not, it could become difficult to receive government benefits. In some States, benefits are being extended only to eligible voters, while those without voting rights are being excluded. A similar system could emerge here as well,” he said.

The Chief Minister said the State government’s welfare schemes are intended for Karnataka residents. “Our guarantee schemes are meant for the people of Karnataka. Why should benefits meant for Karnataka be extended to people from other States? Our intention is that these benefits should reach only the people of this State,” he said.

Mr. Shivakumar and his wife, Usha Shivakumar, completed the Enumeration Forms in the presence of the Bengaluru South Deputy Commissioner and election officials, formally launching the State-wide exercise.

He said the SIR process provided an opportunity for voters to update their personal details, including their registered mobile number, name and photograph. If a voter’s mobile number had changed since obtaining the voter identity card, it could be updated during the process, after which the one-time password (OTP) would be sent to the revised number.

To simplify the exercise, the Chief Minister said one member of a household could fill up and sign the Enumeration Forms on behalf of the entire family.

Responding to concerns over digital literacy, he acknowledged that many people might not be comfortable using the online platform.

“I do not use the app myself and took the help of others. Those who are unable to use the online facility can obtain the physical form from the Booth Level Officer and submit it offline,” he said.

Request all people of Karnataka to fill SIR enumeration form and retain their voter list: Karnataka CM DK Shivakumar

Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Tuesday (June 30, 2026) launched the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Karnataka by filling up and submitting his Enumeration Form at his Sadashivanagar residence, while appealing to citizens across the State to participate in the exercise and safeguard their voting rights. | Video Credit: The Hindu

What Karnataka voters need to know about SIR: CEO explains

Whether Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Karnataka will trigger “logical discrepancies” will be known only after the draft electoral rolls are published, Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer V. Anbu Kumar said, in an interview with The Hindu, dismissing fears of arbitrary deletions and asserting that the exercise is aimed at identifying and including all eligible voters.  | Video Credit: The Hindu