Belagavi: More than 50 pro-Kannada activists who attempted to barge into the venue of the ‘Black Day’ event organized by the Maharashta Ekikarana Samiti (MES) on Saturday afternoon were taken into custody by the police.

The activists, led by Mahadeva Talavara and Wajid Hirekodi, were on their way to the venue, passing through Gogte Circle, when they were intercepted by the police. A physical tussle between the activists and the policemen has also been reported.

Additional police forces were sent to the scene to bring the situation under control, police sources have said.

The incident, however, gave rise to tension in the city, as it occurred amid Kannada Rajyotsava celebrations.

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Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka will begin SIR of electoral rolls from June 20 as part of a nationwide exercise covering 16 states and three Union territories, CEO Anbu Kumar said on Friday.

The drive will cover more than 5.55 crore electors in the state, he said.

As per the schedule notified by the Election Commission (EC), preparation, training and printing activities will be carried out from June 20 to June 29 and Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will conduct house-to-house visits from June 30 to July 29.

The rationalisation of polling stations is scheduled to be completed by July 29. The draft electoral roll will be published on August 5, following which claims and objections can be filed between August 5 and September 4.

The notice phase and disposal of claims and objections will continue from August 5 to October 3, and the final electoral roll will be published on October 7, it said.

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Addressing a press conference here, CEO Kumar said that in Karnataka, the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer is fully prepared to proceed with the SIR of electoral rolls.

As part of this exercise, we have successfully mapped 86.46 per cent of our voters, he said.

"The primary objective of this entire exercise is to ensure that every eligible voter is enrolled, while simultaneously ensuring that no ineligible individuals are included in the voter list. Therefore, I seek the support and cooperation of all the voters of Karnataka, all political parties, and our friends from the media," he added.

According to the statement issued by the CEO's office, 59,050 BLOs will be involved in the SIR of the electoral roll in the state. The exercise will cover approximately 5,55,74,064 electors in the state as of May 12.

The SIR is a participative and transparent exercise involving electors, political parties and the election machinery. During the revision process, BLOs will undertake house-to-house visits for the distribution and collection of enumeration forms, the statement said.

Stating that there are currently 25,284 Booth Level Agents (BLAs) appointed by recognised political parties, the CEO urged all recognised political parties to appoint BLAs for every polling station to ensure active participation and transparency in the revision process.

Electors have been requested to cooperate with BLOs during the house-to-house distribution and collection of enumeration forms.

Further details regarding the revision process, forms and schedule will be made available on the official websites of the District Election Officers, the Chief Electoral Officer, Karnataka, and the Election Commission of India, the statement said.