Telangana SIR: 92.86 lakh electors face potential exclusion, CM Revanth Reddy warns

Nearly 92.86 lakh electors in Telangana could face potential exclusion from the final electoral rolls during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR), Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has warned. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh backed his concerns on Saturday (August 2, calling the scale of potential deletions “simply mind-boggling and totally unacceptable” and urging the Election Commission of India (ECI) to act promptly.

Reddy flags 92.86 lakh entries

Reddy raised the issue in an August 28 letter to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. He questioned the number of electoral entries placed under categories requiring verification.

Also Read: Routine check or political bias: Why MEA denied Revanth Reddy clearance for US visit

Telangana had 3.38 crore electors as of June 10, Reddy said. Around 73.39 lakh entries, or 21.7 per cent of the roll, had been placed under the Absent, Shifted, Dead and Duplicate (ASDD) categories.

Forms flagged for verification

Among the 2.65 crore enumeration forms digitised so far, 60.50 lakh entries had been flagged for anomalies. Another 32.36 lakh were identified as lacking a link with the previous electoral roll. Reddy said the two groups do not overlap.

Also Read: Telangana voter roll may shrink by over 73 lakh after SIR

"Measured against the roll of 3.38 crore electors as it stood on June 10, 2026, some 73.39 lakh entries (21.7 per cent) have been placed under the Absent, Shifted, Dead and Duplicate heads. Out of the 2.65 crore enumeration forms digitised so far, 60.50 lakh stand flagged for anomalies and 32.36 lakh for want of a link to the earlier roll," Reddy said in the letter.

"The two sets are distinct and do not overlap; they add up to 92.86 lakh, and each of those electors is to be put on notice. Stated plainly, something close to one third electorate of the State must now either prove its entitlement afresh or lose its place on the final roll," he added.

'Permanently shifted' voters questioned

Reddy also questioned the number of voters classified as “permanently shifted”. Of the 73.39 lakh ASDD entries, 45.19 lakh, or nearly 62 per cent, fall into this category.

He said the verification process should distinguish temporary absence from permanent relocation. Voters may be away from home for work, travel or other reasons when a Booth Level Officer (BLO) visits.

Reddy questions verification method

"The current verification methodology suffers from critical structural flaws. There is no Distinction Between Temporary Absence and Permanent Relocation: A voter who was simply at work, travelling, or temporarily away when the Booth Level Officer (BLO) visited is treated identically to someone who has permanently relocated," the letter said.

Also Read: Revanth Reddy slams Centre over US visit denial, alleges bias against Telangana

Reddy also said voters who have genuinely moved should receive assistance to register at their new addresses instead of having their names deleted from previous residences.