Over 1,500 applications rejected in Telangana Graduate voter enrolment drive

A total of 1,581 voter registration applications in Telangana's two Graduates' Constituencies have been rejected during scrutiny over ineligible qualifications and suspected fake certificates. Election officials said applicants must have obtained their degree or equivalent qualification on or before October 31, 2023.

Hyderabad: A large number of voter registrations in two Graduates’ Constituencies are facing rejection, with officials flagging ineligible degrees and suspected fake certificates during the scrutiny phase.

As many as 1,581 applications have been rejected in the Mahabubnagar–Rangareddy–Hyderabad and Warangal–Khammam–Nalgonda Graduates Constituencies as of Saturday.

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As per the Election Commission of India (ECI) rules, the qualifying date for voter registration is November 1, 2026. This means that applicants must have obtained a degree or an equivalent qualification at least three years before the qualifying date, that is on or before October 31, 2023, to be eligible for enrolment as graduate voters.

However, several voters submitted applications despite having their degree results declared and receiving their certificates after October 31, 2023, leading to rejection.

“If applicants provide proof that their degree results were declared on or before October 31, 2023, their applications will be considered valid even if they received their certificates after October 31,” officials in the Telangana CEO’s office said.

The TG CEO officials have also identified cases in which applicants allegedly submitted fake certificates for registration. A specialised software has been deployed to identify discrepancies and flag suspicious applications.

So far, the two Graduates’ Constituencies (Mahabubnagar–Rangareddy–Hyderabad and Warangal–Khammam–Nalgonda) received a total of 5,23,758 applications. Of these, 26,085 were approved, while 4,96,112 remain pending verification.

In the Mahabubnagar–Rangareddy–Hyderabad constituency, 2,29,937 applications were received, with 4,695 approved, 129 rejected and 2,25,133 awaiting scrutiny. In the Warangal–Khammam–Nalgonda constituency, a total of 2,93,821 applications were recorded, of which 21,390 were approved, 1,452 rejected and another 2,70,979 are yet to be examined.

Applications can be submitted online through the CEO website https://ceotelangana.nic.in, or via Form-18 can be submitted to EROs, AEROs, designated officers or additional designated officers in person on or before November 6. Applicants need to submit required documents and certificates as well.