All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president and MP Asaduddin Owaisi has raised strong objections to the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls currently underway in Telangana, calling the verification requirements “burdensome” and exclusionary.
Speaking at a press conference on June 25, Owaisi said many citizens are facing difficulties because their names are not listed in the 2002 voter rolls, which are being used as a reference point in the ongoing exercise.
“12-Document Rule Is Impractical”: Owaisi
Owaisi criticised the requirement to submit one of 12 prescribed documents for voter verification, arguing that several of them are either unavailable or not issued in Telangana.
“We had requested the Election Commission to reduce the condition of submission of 12 documents for voters whose names are not on the 2002 voter list,” he said.
He added, “One of the documents is NRC, which does not exist in Telangana. Another is Permanent Residency Certificate, which is not issued here. Even the family register system is not available in the state.”
He also said Aadhaar alone is not being accepted as valid proof in isolation, adding to the burden on voters.
Demand to Include PAN Card and Other IDs
The AIMIM chief suggested that the Election Commission should accept documents like PAN cards, arguing they are as reliable as driving licences and ration cards issued by state governments.
“Four of the 12 documents are not available at all, so only eight remain,” he said, urging the EC to reconsider its criteria.
Questions Over 2002 Voter List Accuracy
Owaisi also questioned the reliability of the 2002 voter list being used in the process, claiming it contains errors and inconsistencies due to manual preparation.
“Why are today’s voters being punished for the mistakes of the 2002 voter list?” he asked.
He argued that spelling errors and inconsistencies in age gaps between family members were being unfairly used to exclude voters.
“How can spelling mistakes in that list become a reason to remove voters today? Which law says such criteria should be used?” he said.
Election Process Timeline in Telangana
The SIR exercise in Telangana began on Thursday, with Booth Level Officers (BLOs) conducting door-to-door enumeration.
The draft voter list is scheduled for publication on July 31, followed by a claims and objections period until August 30. The final electoral roll will be published on October 1.
