Telangana BJP seeks one-month extension of SIR, cites voter anxiety
The Telangana BJP has requested a one-month extension for the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, citing voter confusion and administrative failures. The party alleges that improper procedures have led to the disenfranchisement of genuine voters.
Why it matters
Highlights concerns regarding the integrity of the electoral process and voter access in a major Indian state.
Telangana BJP on Wednesday highlighted concerns over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, stating that the “strict requirement to link current details to the 2002 electoral rolls has created significant anxiety and barriers for genuine voters”.
In a memorandum submitted to Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) C. Sudarshan Reddy, the party sought a one-month extension of the exercise. It also alleged that many households had not received enumeration forms as several Booth Level Officers (BLOs) had “bypassed” mandatory door-to-door visits and instead operated from static locations that were inconvenient for voters.
Party leaders Marri Shashidhar Reddy and Ashok Venula, in the memorandum, alleged that around 7,000 names had been removed from the electoral rolls in Karimnagar on the grounds of similarities in names, even as the SIR exercise was still under way. They said this made a “mockery” of the Election Commission of India’s SIR process.
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