BRS urges EC to use AI, Aadhaar-based verification for strict “One Citizen-One Vote” implementation

The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has urged the Election Commission of India to deploy artificial intelligence and Aadhaar-based tools to eliminate duplicate voter registrations during the ongoing revision of electoral rolls in Telangana.

Hyderabad: The BRS on Friday urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to use artificial intelligence and Aadhaar to identify and eliminate duplication or multiple voter registrations across the country, during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Telangana. The party also sought the ECI to ensure that no genuine voter is deleted from the electoral rolls.

A BRS delegation comprising Rajya Sabha MPs Vaddiraju Ravichandra, Divakonda Damodar Rao and B Parthasaradhi Reddy, former MP B Vinod Kumar and BRS general secretary Soma Bharath Kumar, met Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in New Delhi and submitted a detailed representation in this regard.

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In its representation, the BRS sought strict implementation of the principle of “One Citizen-One Vote” in accordance with Sections 17, 18 and 62 of the Representation of the People Act. The party urged the EC to verify and delete duplicate and multiple voter registrations using scientific and technological tools, including Aadhaar-enabled verification wherever legally permissible, artificial intelligence-assisted matching, de-duplication software, facial recognition, GIS-based verification and field-level scrutiny.

The party representatives also requested the Commission to extend the exercise beyond Telangana to identify duplicate registrations across neighbouring States, while ensuring that no genuine elector is deprived of the right to vote.

The BRS informed that its preliminary analysis had identified suspected duplicate voter registrations across all 119 Assembly constituencies in Telangana, averaging around 16,243 suspicious entries per constituency, which it said required statutory verification before any deletion.

Speaking to mediapersons after the meeting, former MP B Vinod Kumar said the success of the SIR exercise depended on making Booth Level Officers (BLOs) more effective. He said the party informed the Commission that several BLOs lacked adequate training and, in some places, even the required enumeration forms were unavailable. He added that officials had been replaced in parts of Hyderabad after such shortcomings came to light.

Vinod Kumar said the BRS had deployed around 35,000 Booth Level Assistants across Telangana to assist voters during the revision process. He also suggested wider use of technology, including voluntary Aadhaar linking, to improve transparency and detect duplicate registrations, while acknowledging that Aadhaar could not be made mandatory in view of the Supreme Court’s ruling.