CNR Rao name mismatch hearing: Did Bharat Ratna scientist receive SIR notice over extra 'F'? GBA chief clarifies

Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) Chief Commissioner M Maheshwar Rao on Wednesday clarified that no notice has been served on Bharat Ratna awardee Professor CNR Rao as part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll, contrary to reports.

In a statement, the GBA said there was a discrepancy in Rao’s name in the electoral records. However, rather than issuing him a notice, the Booth Level Officer recommended that his name be included in the electoral roll.

According to a Hindustan Times report, his name appeared as “Prof. C.N.R. Rao” in the previous electoral roll, while the current roll lists it as “Proff. C.N.R. Rao,” with an additional “f” in the title. The alleged notice asked him to appear for a hearing in Bengaluru.

"No notice has been issued to the Hon'ble Bharat Ratna (awardee) Prof C N (R) Rao in connection with the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in the Malleshwaram Assembly Constituency," the GBA mentioned, quoting Maheshwar Rao, who also serves as Bengaluru Urban's District Election Officer, reported PTI.

As part of the SIR exercise, the State SVEEP Nodal Officer, accompanied by the Commissioner of the Bengaluru West City Corporation, personally delivered the Enumeration Forms to Rao and his family members at their residence, the GBA said. The required details were subsequently filled in.

According to the GBA, Rao was listed as a voter in Part No-129, Serial No-431 of the 76-Malleshwaram Assembly Constituency in the 2002 electoral roll.

"At that time, his name was recorded as 'Rama'. At present, he is registered as a voter in Part No-59, Serial No-187 of the 157-Malleshwaram Assembly Constituency, under the name 'Prof CN Rao M'. Accordingly, his name has also been included in the draft electoral roll," the statement said.

"A discrepancy was noticed in the name of the Hon'ble person in the electoral roll. In view of this, the Booth Level Officer (BLO), without issuing any notice, has recommended inclusion of his name in the final electoral roll, considering him to be a respected person. Accordingly, necessary action has been initiated to include his name in the final electoral roll," the GBA added.

Prof Rao could not be reached for comment on the matter, as per PTI.

Karnataka SIR: Over 4.38 mn voters may get notices; final electoral roll to be out on October 27

More than 4.381 million notices are likely to be issued under the SIR of electoral rolls in Karnataka, which commenced on June 30, reported HT. The notices will be sent to voters whose records have been classified under the “no mapping” and “anomalies” categories. The process of disposing of claims and objections will continue through October 22, while the final electoral roll is slated to be published on October 27.

In May, the Election Commission of India announced the third phase of the SIR exercise across 16 states and three Union territories.

With the completion of this phase, the SIR exercise will cover the entire country, except Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. About 400,000 Booth Level Officers were tasked with conducting house-to-house visits covering 367.3 million electors ahead of the publication of the draft electoral rolls between July 5 and October 21.

The first two phases of the SIR covered 13 states and Union territories and involved nearly 590 million electors. The latest electoral roll revision exercise began with Bihar in June last year, with the objective of removing bogus, duplicate and ineligible voters, including deceased persons and “illegal immigrants”.