Here are the big stories from Karnataka today

V. Anbu Kumar, Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka, addresses a press conference during the release of the final voter rolls for the State following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, in Bengaluru on October 27, 2026. | Photo Credit: SUDHAKARA JAIN 1. SIR in Karnataka: Over 99.32 lakh names struck off voter listKarnataka’s final electoral roll under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has been published, with constituency-wise lists of voters now available on the Chief Electoral Officer’s (CEO) website. The list can be accessed here. The State’s electorate now stands at 4,55,00,011, down from 5,54,32,314 voters before the SIR began.More than 99.32 lakh names have been knocked off the rolls, as part of the exercise that was launched with the stated aim of ensuring that every eligible voter was included and every ineligible name removed to achieve a ‘pure, clean electorate’. At the draft stage, the electorate had shrunk from 5.54 crore to 4.46 crore, with over 1.07 crore names deleted.The final roll has seen a net addition of 8.64 lakh names compared with the draft roll. Net additions overall remain far lower than the number of names deleted at the draft stage. The final electorate comprises over 2.25 crore male voters, 2.29 crore female voters, and 2,841 third-gender voters. It includes over 6.83 lakh young voters aged 18-19, and over 3.92 lakh voters aged above 85. 2. Karnataka Council polls: BJP leads after first round of counting in West Graduates’ and North-East Teachers’ constituenciesS.V. Sankannur of the BJP was leading by 2,065 votes after the first round of counting in the Karnataka Legislative Council election for the West Graduates’ Constituency, which began at the University of Agricultural Sciences campus in Dharwad on October 27, 2026. Mr. Sankannur secured 6,459 votes, while Mohan Limbikai received 4,394 votes, according to the election authorities. Of the 14,001 votes counted during first round, 2,133 votes were declared invalid.Meanwhile, BJP candidate Shashil G. Namoshi secured a lead of 1,529 votes over his Congress rival Sharanappa Mattur after the first round of counting in the North-East Teachers’ constituency. Mr. Namoshi secured 7,243 votes, while Mr. Mattur polled 5,714 votes. The first round covered 14,001 ballots, of which 13,183 were valid and 818 were rejected. The counting of second-preference votes began after the completion of the first round.3. Sugarcane price deadlock nears resolution after 10-hour discussion with CM D.K. ShivakumarA prolonged deadlock between sugarcane growers and sugar mill owners in Karnataka moved closer to resolution after Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar mediated between the two sides for nearly 10 hours in Belagavi on October 26. The two sides have agreed in principle to determine the price sugar factories should pay farmers after the Union Government fixes the minimum selling price (MSP) of sugar, Mr. Shivakumar said.Representatives of farmers and sugar mills are expected to announce their final decision within two days, following further consultations. Five round of negotiations, involving farmers’ representatives, sugar mill owners, nine Ministers and around 70 legislators, and representatives of 79 of the 80 sugar factories were held at the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha and the Circuit House, beginning around 11 a.m. and continuing until midnight. Published - October 27, 2026 07:21 pm IST