Prakash Raj Voter Roll Row: Bengaluru Officials Explain Why His Name Was Marked ‘Shifted’

Actor Prakash Raj’s comments about his name being removed from Bengaluru’s electoral roll have triggered a fresh debate over the ongoing voter-list revision process in Karnataka. The actor had questioned how his voting rights could disappear from the constituency he considers his home, prompting election authorities to investigate and issue a clarification.

According to the authorities, however, Prakash Raj’s name was not arbitrarily deleted from the voter list. Officials said the entry was moved to the “shifted” category after verification showed that he was no longer living at the address under which he had been registered.

Prakash Raj Raises Questions Over Voter List

The controversy emerged after Prakash Raj posted a video on social media expressing his displeasure over the change in his electoral status. He pointed out his long association with Bengaluru’s Shantinagar area, saying it was the place where he was born, educated and developed his career.

The actor also highlighted that he had contested the 2019 Lok Sabha election from the Bengaluru Central constituency. Against that background, he questioned why his own name had been affected during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Prakash Raj described the development as deeply concerning and questioned whether the removal of voters could be connected to political considerations. He also indicated that he was willing to provide whatever documents were necessary to establish his eligibility and restore his voting rights.

Officials Say Verification Was Conducted

The Bengaluru Central City Corporation and election officials subsequently provided details of the verification carried out at the address linked to Prakash Raj’s voter registration.

Officials said a Booth Level Officer conducted a house-to-house verification as part of the SIR exercise. During the process, it was found that the actor had not been living at the registered address for several years.

The address mentioned in the electoral records was identified as Garden Apartments. Authorities said they checked the information with people familiar with the property, including neighbours and the property management. They were reportedly informed that Prakash Raj no longer occupied the residence and that another person was staying there as a tenant.

Actor Was Also Contacted During Verification

A key point in the authorities’ explanation is that officials say they also spoke directly with Prakash Raj during the verification process.

According to the clarification, the actor acknowledged that he was no longer residing at the address recorded in the electoral roll. Officials said he indicated that he had moved to another location within the Shantinagar Assembly constituency.

Based on this verification, authorities said his record was categorized as “shifted” rather than being removed without a procedure. Bengaluru officials have therefore rejected the suggestion that the change was an arbitrary deletion of his voting rights.

How Prakash Raj Can Restore His Voter Registration

Election authorities have also explained that the actor can update his electoral details using his current residential address.

Officials said Prakash Raj can submit Form 6 based on his present address in Shantinagar to seek inclusion in the electoral roll again. This means the dispute is primarily connected to the address attached to his existing voter registration rather than a finding that he is permanently ineligible to vote.

The clarification comes as Karnataka’s electoral rolls undergo a broader revision exercise aimed at verifying voter information. Such exercises are intended to identify changes such as voters who have moved away from their registered addresses and ensure that electoral records correspond with current residential details.

Debate Over Electoral Roll Revision Continues

The episode involving Prakash Raj has nevertheless added a prominent public figure’s voice to the wider discussion surrounding voter-roll verification in Karnataka.

For voters, changes in residential status can create confusion when an old electoral entry is marked as shifted. Updating the registration after moving to a new address is therefore important to ensure that the voter remains listed at the correct location.

In Prakash Raj’s case, the election authorities maintain that the available records and field verification supported the “shifted” classification. The actor, meanwhile, had initially presented the development as an example of a broader concern about voters being removed during the revision process.

The immediate question now is whether Prakash Raj will use the prescribed procedure to update his electoral registration and what further response, if any, he makes to the official explanation.

For now, Bengaluru election officials have made their position clear: they say the actor’s name was not removed through an arbitrary decision, but was classified as shifted after verification found that he no longer lived at his registered address.