KTR urges cadre to protect genuine voters during SIR in Telangana

BRS working president KT Rama Rao has cautioned party workers that Congress and BJP may misuse the upcoming Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Telangana. He urged cadres to remain vigilant at the booth level to prevent bogus voter registrations and deletions of genuine voters.

Hyderabad: BRS working president KT Rama Rao cautioned that the Congress and BJP could misuse power during the upcoming Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Telangana. He asked party workers to stay alert and protect every vote, preventing the ruling parties from resorting to any irregularities, including registering bogus votes and manipulating voter lists.

Addressing party leaders through a teleconference on Thursday, the BRS working president said there is a risk of bogus voters being added and genuine voters being removed. He urged cadres to monitor the process at the booth level closely. “Every single vote must be protected at the booth level,” he asserted.

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Rama Rao pointed out that in several States, voter list revisions led to the deletion of opposition votes. He also referred to the recent Jubilee Hills bypoll in Hyderabad, where the Congress allegedly added bogus votes to benefit in the election. 

He suspected that both the Congress and the BJP might attempt to misuse the SIR in Telangana as well, and wanted the party leaders to remain extremely cautious.

The working president said the SIR process is meant to correct voter lists and add new voters. He wanted the party cadre to use the opportunity to remove fake names and ensure only eligible voters remain intact, at the booth level.

The former Minister directed the party to enrol all eligible youth who have turned 18. He asked leaders to quickly appoint Booth Level Agents (BLAs) and coordinate with Booth Level Officers (BLOs). He said details of BLAs must be submitted to the Election Commission without delay.

He also announced that the party will organise training programmes for BLAs to help them handle the process effectively. He warned that the revision exercise could begin within a week and be completed swiftly, leaving little time for corrections. He asked the party leaders to begin preparations immediately, focusing on voter list verification, corrections, and enrolment processes.

Calling SIR exercise crucial for the upcoming elections, Rama Rao told MLAs and constituency in-charges to ensure strong coordination from the booth level upwards. 

The BRS leader stressed that voter list verification, corrections and enrolment must be done carefully. He wanted the party leaders to ensure a fair and transparent process. He urged the party ranks to protect voting rights and prevent any misuse of the system.