No eligible voter’s name will be deleted: AP CEO

Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh chief electoral officer (CEO) Vivek Yadav has sought to allay growing concerns surrounding the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, asserting that the exercise is being conducted with complete transparency and in strict adherence to Election Commission of India (ECI) guidelines. He was categorical that no eligible voter would lose the right to exercise his franchise during the revision process.

The clarification comes when asked about the heated political controversy over the SIR exercise, with Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Opposition leader Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy and leaders from all other parties trading punches against one another over the alleged deletion of votes of their respective supporters’. The issue has caused dismay among the ‘genuine’ voters, particularly migrants and those living away from their native places for employment and other reasons.

In an exclusive interaction withThe Hans India, Yadav explained that the Special Intensive Revision exercise, which commenced on June 15, will continue until July 14. During this period, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will visit every household to distribute enumeration forms and collect updated voter information. The voters are required to fill the forms based on details available in the 2002 electoral rolls.

Yadav said the state has prepared enumeration forms for all 4.16 crore registered voters and deployed 46,397 BLOs to carry out the exercise. To ensure maximum coverage,BLOs have been instructed to visit households thrice.

The draft electoral rolls will be published on July -21, after which objections and claims can be filed until August 28.

Addressing concerns over the possibility of large-scale voter deletions, the CEO said that the higher deletion numbers being discussed publicly are largely a result of the removal of duplicate, deceased and migrated voters whose names remained on electoral rolls for years due to inadequate cleansing exercises.

“The voter list underwent a major revision in 2002. Since then, while names of new voters were continuously added, removal of ineligible entries was not at the required pace. The present exercise is correcting that imbalance. This is why deletion figures appear high and have become a subject of speculation,” he clarified. “No eligible voter will lose his or her vote. This is 100 per cent certain,” Yadav said.

Responding to concerns that many migrants and people whose names do not appear in the 2002 rolls could face difficulties, the CEO pointed out that nearly 95 per cent of voters are already covered by the 2002 database. Those not included can establish eligibility through any of the 11 categories of documents prescribed by the ECI. However, Aadhaar cardswill not be accepted as proof of date of birth.

The CEO also addressed criticism regarding the conduct of field-level verification and allegations that political party representatives are being excluded from the process.

“If there are specific complaints regarding BLOs not coordinating with BLAs, they should be brought to our notice. Appropriate instructions will be issued to the respective district administration immediately,” he said.

It should be recalled that the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) has alleged that the ongoing voter verification exercise is being influenced by ruling party workers. The opposition has alleged that voter data is being gathered to identify and remove voters believed to support the YSRCP.

When asked about these allegations, the CEO said the Election Commission is accountable for the actions of its own staff and that BLOs are carrying out their duties as mandated under ECI regulations.

Yadav urged voters to cooperate with BLOs during household visits and advised them to keep their colour photographs and relevant voter details ready. Voters requiring assistance can access the contact details of their local BLO through the Election Commission website or the ECINET mobile application.

The CEO said the entire SIR exercise is being conducted through an online system designed to ensure accountability and compliance.

“Everyone involved must function strictly in accordance with ECI guidelines and the law. The process is fully transparent and entirely rule-based,” Vivek Yadav said.