Panic over Telangana’s voter purge
The CM has sounded the alarm bell over mass deletions during the SIR process
The ruling Congress party in Telangana has expressed alarm over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, fearing a systematic voter purge akin to West Bengal and Assam. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy highlighted this concern during a recent Zoom meeting with senior party leaders, warning of a potential 21% reduction in voter numbers.
The Chief Minister criticized the party's handling of the SIR process, noting a lackadaisical approach during field verification. The Telangana Chief Electoral Officer reported that out of 3,38,26,448 electors, 2,64,86,214 enumeration forms have been digitized (78.3%), with the rest classified as 'uncollectable.' This category includes 94 lakh voters who may face scrutiny during the revision process.
The Congress leadership fears that a disproportionate number of deletions could disproportionately affect marginalized communities, including minorities, low-income households, and socio-economically weaker groups. The party seeks to identify and assist these voters during the claims and objections phase, crucial for protecting its voter base ahead of final roll publication.
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