‘Game on’: Prakash Raj claims loss of voting rights after Karnataka SIR

Actor Prakash Raj on Tuesday claimed that his name had been removed from Bengaluru’s electoral roll following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), raising questions about the verification process.

Raj disclosed the alleged deletion in a video posted on Instagram, saying he was among nearly 65 lakh voters affected by the revision. No immediate response from the Election Commission to his specific claim was reported.

“Friends, I want to share a joke with you. I am one of the 65 lakh voters whose vote right has been deleted from Bangalore constituency after SIR. Nice joke, no? I was born in this constituency. I lived in this constituency,” he said.

Raj pointed to his longstanding association with Bengaluru and noted that he had contested the 2019 Lok Sabha election as an independent candidate from Bengaluru Central.

He said he would now find out what documents and procedures would be required to restore his name to the electoral roll.

“I had my school in college, theatre. And for your kind information, I was an MP candidate of this constituency too. Well, the joke is nice. Game on. Let me see what the process is I have to go through. What all documents do I have to show to get back my voter ID? Well, game on. But one little word. My friend, you can use your powers to deny few of the citizens the right to vote who may not elect you. But can you stop us, my dear friend, from our power of bringing you down? Just ask. Bye,” Raj said.

His claim comes amid wider concerns over the scale of voter verification in Bengaluru. Nearly half of the city’s registered electors were reportedly placed in the Absent, Shifted, Dead, Duplicate and Others category during the revision and asked to complete verification to avoid deletion.

The SIR is intended to update electoral rolls by removing entries relating to deceased voters, people who have permanently relocated and duplicate registrations, while ensuring the inclusion of eligible citizens.

Critics, however, have raised concerns about genuine voters potentially being excluded because of verification failures, documentation difficulties or procedural errors. The Karnataka government and Congress leaders have previously sought greater transparency and safeguards in the exercise.

Raj’s electoral registration has separately been the subject of an ongoing court case based on allegations that his name had appeared on voter lists in more than one state. The allegations have not been proven. His lawyers previously told a Bengaluru court that his registration in Tamil Nadu had been removed, and he was granted conditional bail in July. Bar and Bench reported that Raj’s 2019 election affidavit listed him as a voter in Bengaluru’s Shantinagar assembly segment.

Raj has indicated that he will apply to have his Bengaluru registration restored and furnish the documents sought by the election authorities. The Election Commission’s voter services portal allows eligible citizens whose names are missing to seek enrolment through Form 6.

With IANS inputs