New Delhi, July 11: A delegation from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) met with the Chief Election Commissioner on Friday, presenting a detailed memorandum requesting the identification and removal of duplicate voters from the electoral rolls. The party emphasized the need for a nationwide campaign, asserting that the purification of voter lists should align with the principle of ‘one citizen, one vote.’ They also stressed that the voting rights of any legitimate voter should not be compromised.
The BRS expressed support for the Election Commission’s proposed Special Intensive Revision (SIR)-2026, stating that the process should be conducted in a fully transparent, scientific, and lawful manner. The party assured its complete cooperation with the Election Commission during this campaign.
The party informed the Commission that it has deployed approximately 35,000 Booth Level Agents (BLAs) across all districts in Telangana to assist in identifying suspected duplicate and multiple registrations. The BRS claims that its preliminary investigation has uncovered such suspicious cases in all 119 assembly constituencies of the state.
According to the memorandum, the party has categorized suspected duplicate voter registrations into four groups: those within the same assembly constituency, within the same parliamentary constituency, between different assembly constituencies in Telangana, and across Telangana and neighboring states.
The BRS claims that its initial findings indicate an average of 16,243 suspected duplicate voter entries per assembly constituency, with some areas reporting figures as high as 53,695. However, the party clarified that these are only preliminary identified cases, which should be confirmed through the Election Commission’s legal scrutiny.
The party noted that Telangana shares borders with Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Chhattisgarh. Therefore, it called for a special investigation into interstate duplicate voter registrations during the SIR-2026. The BRS specifically mentioned the likelihood of the same individual being registered in both states following the reorganization of Andhra Pradesh.
The BRS suggested employing modern technologies for identifying duplicate voters, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), Aadhaar-based verification (where legally permissible), facial recognition, GIS mapping, de-duplication software, and ground-level verification.
Citing Sections 17, 18, and 62 of the Representation of the People Act, the party asserted that an individual cannot legally be registered as a voter at multiple locations. They also emphasized that no legitimate voter’s name should be mistakenly removed from the list during the verification process. The BRS expressed its commitment to collaborating with the Election Commission to create a fair and reliable voter list.
–
Leave a Comment