Telangana: BJP, Congress clash over Special Intensive Revision of rolls

BJP's Alleti Maheshwar Reddy accuses Congress of opposing the voter roll revision in Telangana to find excuses for defeats. CM Revanth Reddy counters that the process could wrongly delete votes of vulnerable sections like Dalits and minorities.

BJP Accuses Congress of Opposing Voter Roll Revision

BJP leader Alleti Maheshwar Reddy on Sunday accused the Congress of opposing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Telangana, alleging that the party resorts to excuses after electoral setbacks. Reddy told ANI that the SIR exercise is aimed solely at removing duplicate, shifted, illegal, or deceased voters and does not affect genuine voters.

He accused the Congress of raising unnecessary objections and attempting to shift blame for its defeats. "When Congress loses, it looks for excuses. Now, they object to the SIR process. This revision only removes duplicate, shifted, infiltrated, or dead votes -- never genuine voters. Yet Congress raises objections, trying to blame others for its defeats... In Telangana, the same transparent process is underway, but leaders like Revanth Reddy and KTR are suddenly uncomfortable," he said.

Congress Fears Disenfranchisement of Vulnerable Sections

Earlier on Saturday, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy drew the Congress party's action plan to protect the vulnerable sections, mainly Dalits, Minorities, Adivasi, Tribal and migrant workers from the deletion of their names in the voters' list under the SIR (Special Intensive Revision), which is being launched in the Telangana state from June this year.

Participating in the Congress party's Political Affairs Committee ( PAC) meeting, the Chief Minister said SIR could emerge as a major issue for Lambada, Adivasi, and migrant workers. "In several constituencies, a significant number of people have migrated elsewhere. The possibility of the omission of votes of Dalits, minorities, and women was also not ruled out in the SIR," the CM remarked.

SIR Schedule and Timeline

The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) schedule has been outlined for multiple States and Union Territories with clearly defined timelines for each stage of the electoral roll process. For Telangana and Punjab, the qualifying date is October 1, 2026. The preparation phase will be conducted from June 15, 2026, to June 24, 2026, followed by BLO visits from June 25, 2026, to July 24, 2026. Rationalisation will be completed by July 24, 2026. The draft roll will be published on July 31, with claims and objections open from July 31 to August 30. The notice phase and disposal will continue from July 31 to September 28 and the final roll will be published on October 1. (ANI)

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