Congress government in Karnataka accused of SAR irregularities by BJP

Bengaluru, July 4 – In a strong rebuke on Saturday, the Karnataka unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party alleged that the state’s Congress administration is compromising the integrity of the Socio‑Economic and Caste Census (SEC). Party president B.Y. Vijayendra claimed that Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are being coerced into breaching Election Commission norms, leading to a flawed SAR process.

Vijayendra said the BJP has presented a memorandum to the Election Commission, urging it to issue a formal warning and to order a fresh SAR wherever procedural lapses are detected. He argued that the SAR’s core objective – to gather reliable socio‑economic statistics – is being subverted for partisan gain.

According to the BJP, the prescribed practice requires BLOs to go house‑to‑house distributing census forms. The party alleges that instead, officials are being directed to hand out questionnaires from community welfare centres, temples, and mosques, bypassing the mandated method.

The statement also accused certain legislators of using their constituency offices as makeshift bases for BLO operations, exerting pressure on election officials to follow their instructions. Moreover, the BJP warned that a parallel SAR exercise being run by the Greater Bengaluru Authority alongside the State Election Commission’s statewide rollout is sowing confusion among voters.

Specific instances were highlighted, such as the Jayanagar constituency where SAR documents reportedly display photographs of prominent Congress leaders, hinting at bias. Vijayendra noted that the Election Commission had previously convened a video conference with officials to reinforce strict compliance, yet the party asserts that the guidelines are still being ignored.

In reply, the Election Commission confirmed receipt of the complaint and promised remedial action. The BJP capped its allegations by blaming Congress cadre for the alleged misuse of the SAR exercise.