Telangana SIR controversy: Congress, BJP trade barbs

Hyderabad: The political confrontation between the ruling Congress and the BJP over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls continues in Telangana, with leaders of both parties trading allegations even after the October 7 deadline for submitting Forms 6, 7 and 8.

Under the electoral roll revision process, Form 6 is used for fresh voter registration and inclusion of names missing from the draft electoral roll, Form 8 for corrections to electoral details, and Form 7 for objections to the inclusion of ineligible voters. However, the notice period in Telangana will continue until November 5.

According to the Election Commission of India (ECI) guidelines, Booth-Level Officers (BLOs) will visit electors categorised as unmapped or whose records have been flagged for discrepancies to collect the required documents.

However, the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC), Ministers and other party leaders have intensified their criticism of the BJP over the SIR exercise.

On Monday, TPCC president B Mahesh Kumar Goud alleged that attempts were being made to remove voters’ names on the basis of religion and caste. He accused certain forces of conspiring to remain in power permanently and undermining constitutional institutions.

Congress MP Mallu Ravi alleged that 13 crore names had been removed through the SIR process and claimed that the exercise was being used to delete the names of voters likely to oppose the BJP. He urged eligible voters to register for the graduate constituency elections and called on Congress workers to ensure the victory of party candidates.

The Congress is also planning a major public meeting in Hyderabad to demand the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the scrapping of the SIR process.

Telangana BJP president N Ramchander Rao challenged the Congress to identify even one person in the state who had lost their vote because of the SIR exercise.

Responding to the challenge, BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said he was ready to produce several people whose names had been deleted from the electoral rolls. However, he had not presented them publicly as of Monday.

Ramachander Rao, meanwhile, accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of misleading the public with allegations of “vote theft”. Speaking to the media on Monday, Ramachandar Rao said the ECI and the Supreme Court had repeatedly clarified issues relating to the revision of electoral rolls.

Ramachandar Rao maintained that the Congress had failed to substantiate its allegations with evidence and described them as an attempt to mislead the public. He also launched a personal attack on Rahul Gandhi, calling him the “real thief” and mocking his use of the Gandhi surname.

The exchange has intensified the political debate over the electoral roll revision process in Telangana, with both parties continuing to defend their positions.

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Venkateshwarlu Kolishetty

Venkateshwarlu Kolishetty