Hyderabad: As Telangana begins its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, questions remain over whether booth-level officers (BLOs) will physically reach every voter. Similar challenges in states like West Bengal and Gujarat — where locked houses, apartment complexes, migrant settlements and urban localities made contact difficult — had led to electors being marked absent or untraceable during verification.
Political parties in Telangana have already flagged gaps in the pre-SIR mapping exercise, particularly in urban areas. Electoral experts warn that inadequate household visits could trigger disputes over omissions from draft rolls, making field verification one of the most closely watched stages of the revision.
3 Household Visits Mandated
From June 25 to July 24, BLOs must visit each household at least three times. They will distribute pre-printed enumeration forms in duplicate, explain how to complete them, and assist voters during follow-ups. BLOs must collect the completed forms, retain one copy, and sign the second as acknowledgement. All forms are to be collected by July 24.
Citizens turning 18 by Oct 1 will receive Form 6 and a declaration form for enrolment as new voters. If an elector is absent, BLOs may hand the form to an adult family member. If forms remain unreturned, BLOs must inquire with neighbours to confirm whether the elector is absent, deceased, shifted, or duplicated.
Voters who miss a BLO visit can access officer contact details via the chief electoral officer, Telangana website, use the ‘Book a call with BLO’ facility on the Election Commission of India site or ECINET app, or call the voter helpline at 1950.
Congress Flags Discrepancies
TPCC Election Commission coordination committee chairman P Rajesh Kumar alleged irregularities in BLO data. “We have verified the BLO data and found that some of them were not genuine. During random calls, we found that some were not aware of BLO duties or that the duty had been assigned to them. The list available with the ERO differs from the one on the CEO website. The problem is mostly in urban areas, while there is not much of an issue in rural areas,” he said.
He further alleged that sweepers and fogging-machine operators had been listed as BLOs. “For instance, at Kasturba School in Bahadurpura, where I have my vote, a fogging worker was named as the BLO,” he said. Some BLOs, he claimed, were relying on their sons to operate smartphones and apps required for the work.
CEO Responds
Chief electoral officer C Sudharshan Reddy acknowledged that such problems had existed earlier in GHMC areas. “Over the past one-and-a-half months, several changes have been made. BLOs have been changed and most of the issues have been resolved,” he said.
The CEO stressed that BLOs must visit and verify every household and urged booth-level agents appointed by political parties to assist them during the exercise.
