Hyderabad: Voters rush to collect SIR enumeration forms as BLO visits remain pending
As Hyderabad's Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls gathers momentum, many voters claim Booth Level Officers have not yet visited their homes. Residents are approaching local leaders and BLOs directly for enumeration forms, while political parties continue trading allegations over the process.
Hyderabad: As the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls gathers pace in Hyderabad, many voters are making their own efforts to obtain enumeration forms, with several claiming that Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are yet to visit their homes.
In many localities, residents said they have been approaching local political leaders, party offices and BLOs directly to collect the forms instead of waiting for door-to-door distribution. Some alleged that BLOs were unable to locate certain addresses, while in other cases, the forms were being handed over to local leaders for distribution among voters.
Mohd Shahbaz Khan, a resident of Jahanuma, said people in his locality have been visiting the offices and houses of local leaders to collect the forms. “Many residents are worried that they may miss the process. Instead of waiting, they are going to local leaders or trying to contact the BLO themselves,” he said.
Syed Imtiyaz Hussain, a resident of Chanchalguda, said several people were making repeated attempts to trace their BLOs. “Some voters have not received the forms yet. People are calling BLOs, visiting polling booths and asking neighbours if anyone knows where the BLO is working that day,” he said.
A similar situation was reported from Chandrayangutta. Idris Khan said residents were trying to coordinate with BLOs whenever they visited nearby streets. “When we hear that the BLO is in the area, people immediately go there to collect the forms. Nobody wants to wait until the last minute,” he said.
The SIR exercise has also triggered political sparring, with parties accusing one another of trying to influence the process. Leaders from different political parties have alleged that their rivals are collecting and distributing forms themselves instead of allowing BLOs to carry out the exercise independently. The allegations have been denied by the respective parties, with each accusing the other of interfering in the revision process.
Election officials have repeatedly stated that BLOs are required to visit every household, distribute enumeration forms and assist voters in completing them.
