Pressure on BLOs mounts amid flawed voter roll mapping in Karnataka

Raising concerns over the ongoing voter roll mapping exercise in Bengaluru, ‘My Vote, My Right” group has submitted a letter to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Karnataka, V. Anbukumar, pointing out at procedural lapses, technical glitches, and the risk of large-scale exclusion of vulnerable populations.

The letter, based on interactions with Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and residents across multiple localities, also highlights pressure being exerted on the BLOs by supervisory officials to complete the mapping process without adequate support. The BLOs have reportedly cited a lack of proper training, clear guidelines, and standardised protocols, making it difficult to ensure comprehensive and accurate mapping.