Patancheru MLA launches campaign to boost SIR form submission

With only 55 per cent of enumeration forms digitised in Patancheru, MLA Gudem Mahipal Reddy has launched an awareness campaign using autos fitted with loudspeakers to encourage voters to submit SIR forms amid concerns over a sharp decline in the electorate.

Sangareddy: Just about 55 per cent (2.35 lakh voters) of the enumeration forms of 4.28 lakh voters have been digitised in Patancheru constituency so far, and Patancheru MLA Gudem Mahipal Reddy has launched a campaign to educate voters to return their enumeration forms to their respective Booth Level Officers (BLOs) without any delay.

Mahipal Reddy, who won three consecutive elections from the constituency on the BRS ticket, is worried over the poor response. He reportedly felt that the decrease in the number of voters would have an impact on the outcome of elections in the coming years.

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The constituency has 4.28 lakh voters, many of whom are migrant workers from north India, neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and rural parts of Telangana. Until now, a good number of voters had enrolled their names both in their native places and in Patancheru.

Since the Election Commission of India (ECI) decided to remove duplicate votes during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) under way in the State, many of these settlers have decided to retain their votes in their native places. As the last date for submitting the forms is nearing, Mahipal Reddy has pressed 30 autos into service to educate the people.

The autos, fitted with loudspeakers, will educate voters to return the filled enumeration forms to their respective BLOs as early as possible. The constituency has nine Cyberabad Municipal Corporation divisions, five municipalities and two rural mandals.

Apart from that, Mahipal Reddy’s followers have also been constantly persuading voters to return the forms by visiting almost every house. Even after these efforts, people monitoring the situation said the number of voters in Patancheru constituency would come down by nearly one lakh after the SIR.

The Sangareddy and Zaheerabad constituencies have also been affected by migrant workers. Digitisation has been progressing swiftly in the remaining constituencies of the erstwhile Medak district. Dubbak, which is mostly spread across rural areas, has recorded over 90 per cent digitisation, while all the remaining constituencies have completed over 80 per cent digitisation except Sangareddy, which has recorded below 80 per cent so far.