The Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) has filed a complaint with the Chief Electoral Officer regarding pre-printed applications for the bulk deletion of voter names in the Musheerabad constituency. This action has intensified concerns about a targeted effort against a specific segment of the electorate during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Allegations suggest that applications for bulk deletion of voters were submitted during the Claims & Objections phase of the SIR in Karnataka. In Telangana, a booth level agent of the Bharatiya Janata Party from Musheerabad reportedly submitted Form-7 applications to delete Congress party’s booth level agent and over 30 of his family members. The forms allegedly had the names and addresses of the family members pre-printed, with only the applicant’s name handwritten, raising suspicions of a large-scale political conspiracy.
The TPCC has expressed serious concerns about the preparation and circulation of these pre-printed forms, suggesting they are intended to target Congress leaders and their supporters. They suspect that booth level agents may have obtained this material through party channels and are calling for a thorough investigation and action against those responsible.
In response, Chief Electoral Officer C. Sudharshan Reddy stated that all bulk applications for voter deletion will undergo thorough scrutiny before any deletions are made. He clarified that while any registered voter can submit multiple forms, a single person filing more than five objections will trigger a mandatory review. The CEO emphasized that submitting Form-7 does not automatically lead to removal from the rolls without proper authentication and verification. Procedures include SMS alerts for linked mobile numbers, public display of applications, and personal service of hearing notices to both the objector and the person slated for deletion. Deletions based on death will require authentic proof, such as a death certificate or a verified list, and in cases where death is not officially recorded, field verification by the BLO will be mandatory before any deletion is effected.
Source: thehindu.com
