Congress Chief Raises Concerns Over Electoral Roll Revision, Alleges Vote Manipulation

Hyderabad: Following discussions with the Telangana Chief Electoral Officer, the state Congress leadership has raised serious allegations regarding irregularities in the electoral revision process. Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president Mahesh Kumar Goud accused BJP leaders Bandi Sanjay Kumar and G. Kishan Reddy of securing electoral victories through fraudulent votes.

The Congress delegation, comprising senior party leaders, met with Chief Electoral Officer C. Sudharshan Reddy to address concerns ahead of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls scheduled for Telangana.

Speaking to journalists, Goud alleged that widespread vote manipulation has occurred across 14 states during recent electoral revision exercises. He characterized the Special Intensive Revision process as "atrocious" and pointed to developments in West Bengal as evidence of electoral manipulation.

The Congress leader highlighted troubling figures in voter data management, stating that authorities added 8.2 crore votes nationally while simultaneously deleting approximately 5.9 lakh votes. In West Bengal specifically, he claimed 90 lakh votes were removed from rolls while 60 lakh new votes were added—changes he suggested fundamentally altered electoral outcomes.

Goud emphasized that Telangana faces no scheduled elections for the next two years, prompting the Congress party to request that the Election Commission extend the Special Intensive Revision exercise over a 12-month period rather than an accelerated timeline.

The Congress chief proposed several safeguards for the revision process. He called for voters to receive at least three months to submit supporting documentation, recognizing particular hardship for economically disadvantaged populations. Additionally, he suggested that Booth Level Officers conduct at least three home visits to each voter for thorough verification.

Expressing particular concern about overseas voters, Goud cautioned against arbitrary removal of votes cast by Indians living abroad. He alleged that deletion efforts disproportionately targeted votes that did not benefit the BJP.

Urging citizens to remain vigilant about their voting rights, Goud outlined the timeline for Telangana's revision process. Data collection begins on June 25 and continues through July 24, with the revised electoral roll to be published on October 1.