Congress urges Telangana CEO to publish electoral anomaly lists online
Telangana Congress demands public disclosure of electoral anomaly lists, citing Puducherry's online publication and a Supreme Court ruling.
With the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls now in its notice phase, the Hyderabad District Congress Committee (DCC) has called on the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Telangana to publish constituency-wise lists of electors facing anomalies. The demand comes as the number of such cases has reportedly crossed 60 lakh, and voters report confusion over how to respond to notices.
DCC president Syed Khalid Saifullah noted that booth-level officers (BLOs) and their superiors have not been able to provide booth-level agents with consolidated lists of electors flagged for logical discrepancies. He pointed to the Union Territory of Puducherry, which has made such lists publicly available online, as a model for Telangana to follow.
Saifullah also referenced the Supreme Court's ruling in R. Siva vs. Election Commission of India, which directed the display of names of electors under logical discrepancy review at government offices. "The CEO, Telangana, should take a leaf from this and ensure that the same is done in Telangana," he said, adding that many BLOs appeared unaware whether such a consolidated list exists.
Congress leader P. Rajesh Kumar has submitted a formal representation to the CEO urging publication of constituency-wise and part-wise anomaly lists in downloadable PDF format. The representation also calls for public disclosure of hearing schedules and a daily or weekly dashboard summarising the status of notices served, responses received, and cases resolved.
Party leaders argue that public disclosure would reduce confusion, allay public anxiety, and lessen dependence on physical copies of notices delivered by BLOs.
Meanwhile, electors have reported difficulties with the notice process. One voter, travelling for work in Bengaluru, said her BLO informed her of a notice with a hearing scheduled for the very next day. Others who responded online by uploading documents said they were still advised by BLOs to appear in person at hearings to avoid any risk of disenfranchisement.