BRS urges ECI to enforce ‘one person one vote’ during SIR
The BRS has urged the Election Commission of India to prioritise the identification and removal of duplicate and ineligible voters during the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, seeking technology-driven verification and coordination between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh authorities.
Hyderabad: Intensifying its efforts to enforce the “One Person, One Vote” principle, the BRS on Wednesday approached the Election Commission of India to treat duplicate voter registrations as a priority during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The party argued that the success of the SIR exercise depended not just on updating rolls but also on identifying and removing duplicate, migrated, deceased and other ineligible voters.
A delegation of BRS leaders, including BRS MLC Dasoju Sravan, former MLC Karne Prabhakar and BRS general secretary Ravula Chandrasekhar Reddy, met Telangana Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) C Sudharshan Reddy at BRK Bhavan on Wednesday and submitted a representation in this regard.
In a representation to the Election Commission of India, the BRS leaders said duplicate and multiple registrations undermine the credibility and fairness of elections. They said Hyderabad’s status as a major employment and education hub has created conditions for multiple voter registrations from across the country.
The party pointed to the particular challenge posed by Telangana’s bifurcation from Andhra Pradesh in 2014. Continued migration and social, educational and business links between the two States have left many individuals registered as voters in both, the party said.
The BRS called for a coordinated mechanism between the Chief Electoral Officers of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to detect and remove cross-State duplicate registrations. It sought a technology-driven national verification exercise using de-duplication software, text matching, photo similarity checks and Aadhaar-Voter ID linkage verification.
The BRS also demanded rigorous field verification by Booth Level Officers and Electoral Registration Officers in cases involving suspected duplicate or migrated voters. The party stressed that deletions should be carried out only after due process and in accordance with the law. The party called for a transparent grievance mechanism through which voters and recognised political parties could report suspected duplicate entries and track action taken.
Strict legal action against individuals found to have knowingly maintained registrations in multiple locations was also demanded.
The party also emphasised that no genuine voter should be removed without prior notice, proper inquiry and due process. It urged the Election Commission to issue clear instructions to election authorities to ensure transparency and accountability throughout the revision.
Speaking to mediapersons after the meeting, Sravan argued that the true objective of SIR cannot be achieved unless the electoral process is completely freed from the menace of bogus and duplicate votes across the States. He pointed to lack of a scientific and dedicated mechanism to completely eliminate bogus and duplicate votes across the States. He emphasised the need to implement “One Nation, One Citizen, One Vote” principle.
He emphasised that only through coordinated efforts, cross-verification of voter databases, and meticulous scrutiny can the Election Commission ensure clean electoral rolls and strengthen public trust in the democratic process.
“The fundamental democratic principle is that every citizen should have only one vote in one location and should not be allowed to retain voting rights in multiple locations which is an offence under the Representation of the People Act, 1951,” he said.
