States » SouthPosted at: Oct 28 2026 7:01PM


Ashoka seeks CBI probe into voter ID printing

Bengaluru, Oct 28 (UNI) Karnataka Legislative Assembly Leader of Opposition R Ashoka on Wednesday demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into alleged irregularities in the printing of voter identity cards for civic elections, questioning the expenditure of around Rs 20 crore on 90 lakh cards when Bengaluru's post-revision electoral roll contained only about 59 lakh voters.
Ashoka alleged that public money had been wasted on the exercise and questioned the timing of the tender, the selection process and the fate of the excess cards printed ahead of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) elections.
“In Karnataka, a scandal involving more than Rs 20 crore has taken place over state voter ID cards. The Karnataka government released funds worth Rs 20 crore to issue state voter ID cards for the corporation elections,” he said.
Questioning the need to print separate voter identity cards when the Election Commission of India (ECI) had already issued voter IDs, Ashoka alleged that the state government sanctioned the funds and proceeded with the tender without following the prescribed procedures.
“There was a single tender, and the cards were printed immediately,” he said, alleging irregularities in the procurement process.
Ashoka also questioned the decision to initiate the tender process after the ECI announced the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls on May 14. He alleged that the state government and the State Election Commission invited tenders a day after the announcement.
The BJP leader said the discrepancy between the number of cards printed and the electorate reflected in the revised rolls required an explanation.
Citing the final electoral roll published after the SIR exercise, Ashoka said Bengaluru had approximately 59 lakh voters, compared with 90 lakh voter ID cards printed under the state government's exercise.
“Now, in the SIR, the voter list announced yesterday shows only 59 lakh voters. You have already printed 90 lakh cards. What about the voter ID cards for the remaining 31 lakh voters?” he asked.
He further alleged that the cards had been printed and sent to the corporation for distribution around four months earlier, and demanded that the government disclose their current status and explain how the remaining cards would be distributed following the revision of electoral rolls.
“There are only approximately 60 lakh voters in Bengaluru, but you have printed 90 lakh cards. What about the remaining 30 lakh cards? This is a big question,” Ashoka said.
The Opposition leader also questioned the expenditure at a time when the state government had expressed concerns over its financial position, arguing that the use of public funds required scrutiny.
“This is public money. Rs 20 crore is not a small amount. It is a big amount, and you have wasted public money,” he said, reiterating his demand for a CBI investigation.
Ashoka also referred to an affidavit submitted by the state government in the Supreme Court, which he said indicated that elections would be conducted using the electoral roll prepared after the SIR exercise. He questioned why the government proceeded with the tender and printing process despite this position.
The allegations come amid political tensions over electoral roll revision and preparations for elections to Bengaluru's municipal corporations. The final SIR roll for Bengaluru, published on October 27, recorded 59,08,151 electors across 28 Assembly constituencies.
The allegations of financial and procedural irregularities have not been independently established. A response from the state government and the authorities responsible for the printing exercise would be necessary to establish the basis of the expenditure, the tender process followed and the status of the printed cards.
UNI BDN
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