Amid all the hullabaloo over alleged submission of “Form 7s” in bulk, seeking removal of voters from the electoral rolls and serious concerns over deletion of names during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR), Chief Minister DK Shivakumar’s ‘sting operations’ bombshell has caused quite a stir in the state’s political circles.
Earlier this week, in a cabinet meeting, the CM reportedly cautioned his ministers to be vigilant about sting operations. A day later, he claimed that attempts were made to target him, that he has proof and even knows who the mastermind is. The CM may be wary of attempts to discredit his government and wants his team to be extra cautious. But it was like putting a cat among the pigeons.
In the last few years, ‘sting operations’, ‘pen drives’ and ‘CDs’ have all unfortunately become part of Karnataka’s political lexicon. However, the latest revelation from the state’s top executive seemed to have come out of nowhere. The timing is unfathomable. Congress is busy trying to convince people that their votes are being stolen.
The opposition in the state is trying to put the government in the dock over several issues, including alleged wrongdoing in NICE’s (Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises) implementation of the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor project and linking it to the CM. Farmers, hit by severe drought, are waiting for substantial financial assistance from the State Government.
The CM’s claim sparked bitter political exchanges. Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy questioned the timing of such a revelation and the circumstances under which Siddaramaiah was made to quit as CM.
As expected, many Congress leaders backed the CM. Some even accused a Union Minister of hiring an agency in the national capital to target ministers in the Shivakumar government. One Congress leader even claimed that there was a conspiracy to target 10 ministers and senior officials.
It’s unclear why the Congress leaders, who claim to have information, haven’t filed a case. Were the state intelligence apparatus and the police aware of such a development, and what action did they take?
In 2021, Ramesh Jarkiholi, a minister in the then BJP government, resigned after a video of him being in a compromising position with a woman went viral. After that, politicians are said to be more cautious. However, in 2025, Congress leader KN Rajanna, then a minister in the Congress Government, expressed concerns over Karnataka being called a CD and pen drive factory.
JD(S) leader Prajwal Revanna’s alleged sexual assault videos had surfaced before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, and he was convicted later. That had caused a furore in political circles. In 2001, the then state Congress president resigned after a sting operation that accused him of taking bribes.
Such cases raise concerns over probity in public life. Perhaps, for the first time in the state, concern over attempts to conduct sting operations against ministers was expressed in a cabinet meeting. It may be an effort to protect ministers against unscrupulous elements, but it will do no good to the state government’s image unless all details, including action taken, are made public. The cloud of suspicion has to be cleared.
The issue has added to the rising political temperatures over SIR, alleged submission of Form 7s in bulk, and police registering cases against them after the CM’s protest at the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO). Submitting false information in Form 7 is a crime, but it is unclear if the police, without a complaint from the Election Commission, can take action on their own.
The NDA leaders in the state have termed it as the State Government’s interference in the SIR process and sought the Governor’s intervention. The government defended its action. The matter has also been taken to the courts.
The battle over the SIR is being fought at different levels. With the party’s top leadership going all out to oppose the SIR, the state leaders are backing their campaign to the hilt. They are planning to take the “Save Vote, Save Country” campaign to the streets across the state from October 10 to 20 to create awareness about what the party terms as “consequences of vote theft.”
There is no need for any apprehension among those left out of the electoral rolls even after the SIR in the state. They can be added to the electoral rolls by submitting ‘Form 6,’ meant for new additions.
However, given the charged political atmosphere in the country, all sides will attempt to set narratives and dominate the discourse; only the issues keep changing.
