M. G. Mahesh, the spokesperson for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka, has labeled allegations made by Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) spokesperson M. Lakshmana about large-scale deletions of voter names as ‘false and misleading’. During a press conference in Mysuru, Mahesh explained that the Election Commission of India (ECI) is currently engaged in a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which is aimed at verifying and updating the voter list. This process includes removing duplicate entries and names of deceased individuals. Mahesh criticized Lakshmana for spreading misinformation that purportedly claims 86 lakh voters had been removed, including 60,000 from the Narasimharaja Assembly constituency. He suggested that such statements were attempts to instill fear among voters, especially as the Congress party faces potential electoral losses in upcoming elections. Mahesh clarified that there is no connection between the central government and the ECI regarding the SIR and noted that the mapping is being conducted by Booth Level Officers (BLOs), who are government employees in Karnataka. He also pointed out that the Congress party has previously supported SIR in other states like Kerala when it suited their interests.