Telangana is undergoing one of the largest voter-verification exercises in its history. Under the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR), 60,50,918 electors have been classified under Anomalies or Logical Discrepancies, while another 32,36,659 are Unmapped to the 2002 SIR roll.

Together, that is 92,87,577 electors nearly 93 lakh people.

These are not merely numbers in an Election Commission database. They represent electors who may have to respond to notices, explain discrepancies or establish their eligibility during verification.

When an electoral exercise affects nearly 93 lakh citizens, transparency should be automatic. Yet the chief electoral officer (CEO), Telangana, has still not satisfactorily answered a basic question: Who are these electors, and why have they been flagged?

Political parties and their Booth Level Agents (BLAs) are expected to assist election officials and help ensure that no eligible citizen is excluded. But how can BLAs help when they are not given the lists of electors who need assistance?

The data exists, but BLAs don't have it

The Election Commission's system has already identified 60.51 lakh electors under Logical Discrepancies and 32.37 lakh as Unmapped. In the case of Logical Discrepancies, the system also knows the specific reason for which an elector has been flagged.

Also Read: Booth agents not responsible for verifying all details in SIR forms: Delhi HC

The Telangana CEO has directed officials more than once to share........

© National Herald