Telangana Congress Calls for Phased Approach to Voter Roll Revision

The Telangana Congress party has urged the Election Commission to extend the current Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls over 1.5 to two years. They raised concerns about potential voter deletions affecting outcomes, suggesting a cautious, phased approach to allay public fears and reduce administrative burdens.

In a bid to safeguard voter integrity in Telangana, the state Congress on Friday appealed to the chief electoral officer to stagger the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls over a period of 1.5 to two years. This request stems from apprehensions that a rapid revision might undermine the fairness of future elections.

Highlighting past concerns, Congress president B Mahesh Kumar Goud cited examples where hurried revisions resulted in significant voter deletions in states like West Bengal. He insists that the voter roll revision process should be meticulously planned to prevent negative outcomes and should involve ample time for resolving objections.

Goud further recommended assigning distinct personnel for the SIR and Census activities, extending the objection filing period, and ensuring thorough documentation by Booth Level Officers during voter verification. The party seeks to prevent the SIR process from morphing into a disguised National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise.