Voters in Telangana are facing severe confusion as Special Intensive Revision (SIR) notices demand documents from years before some were even born. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has now stepped in, urging the Election Commission for more time to prevent wrongful deletions.
- Telangana voters are receiving SIR notices demanding documents dating back to the 1980s.
- Government-issued IDs like Aadhaar and PAN are reportedly being rejected in some verification cases.
- CM Revanth Reddy has requested a four-week extension from the Election Commission of India (ECI).
- Approximately 21.7% of Telangana's electoral entries are flagged as Absent, Shifted, Dead, or Duplicate (ASDD).
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Telangana has sparked widespread panic and confusion among the electorate. Residents in Hyderabad and other regions report being summoned to hearings where they are asked to produce identity and address proofs from decades ago—some dating back to 1987—to maintain their names on the voter list.
The absurdity of these demands was highlighted by Sai Kanmudraj, a voter who was asked for a document from 1987 despite not being born at that time. According to Kanmudraj, officials rejected his Aadhaar and PAN cards, leaving him bewildered as to where one could possibly source records from a period before their birth. This pattern of rejecting modern, digitally verified government IDs has led to growing frustration among the general public.
Why This Matters
BozokMedia analysis shows that this administrative friction could lead to large-scale disenfranchisement if not addressed immediately. When the state's primary identity documents (Aadhaar/PAN) are deemed insufficient for electoral verification, it creates a systemic failure that disproportionately affects youth and marginalized groups who may not possess ancestral land records or old certificates.
The demand for legacy documents in a digital-first governance era is an administrative anomaly that threatens the fundamental right to vote.
Another affected citizen, a woman who had voted at the same booth for years, reported that despite providing her Aadhaar card, officials demanded further bank-related proof and address verification. She noted that her 10th-grade certificate lacked a photograph, making it useless for current verification standards, yet she was still asked to provide more evidence of her existence and residency.
From the administrative side, G Vasanth Kumar, In-charge Assistant Municipal Commissioner and ARO, defended the process, stating that notices are a standard part of verifying ASDD (Absent, Shifted, Dead, and Duplicate) entries and resolving mapping discrepancies. He noted that hundreds of notices are issued daily to clean up the electoral rolls.
Historical Background
Electoral roll revisions are periodic exercises conducted by the Election Commission of India to ensure the accuracy of the voter list. However, the 'Special Intensive Revision' is more rigorous. In Telangana, the scale of this revision is massive, with nearly 73.39 lakh entries (roughly 21.7% of the total 3.38 crore electors) currently classified under the ASDD category, making the process highly sensitive to errors.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Total Electors (June 10) | 3.38 Crore |
| ASDD Flagged Entries | 73.39 Lakh |
| Percentage Flagged | ~21.7% |
| Requested Extension | 4 Weeks |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Why are Aadhaar and PAN cards being rejected in some SIR hearings?
While not officially banned, some local officials are reportedly seeking specific historical proofs to establish residency or date of birth that these IDs may not explicitly satisfy according to certain internal verification criteria.
Q2: What action has the Telangana government taken?
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has written to the Chief Election Commissioner seeking a four-week extension and the setup of urban helpdesks to ensure no eligible voter is wrongly deleted.
