NEW DELHI: The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) on Tuesday urged the Election Commission (EC) to allow adequate time for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Andhra Pradesh, asserting that the process should not be conducted within six months of any major election. The party also said voters already enrolled in the latest certified roll should not be required to reestablish their identity.
The suggestions from the BJP ally come amid a political row over the ongoing SIR in Bihar, where its timing, close to the Assembly elections, and the burden of proof on prospective voters in many cases have drawn criticism from opposition parties.
"The SIR's purpose must be clearly defined and limited to electoral-roll correction and inclusion. It should be explicitly communicated that the exercise is not related to citizenship verification, and any field instructions must reflect this distinction," a TDP delegation told the EC.
Batting for the "presumption of inclusion", it said voters who are already enrolled in the most recent certified electoral rolls should not be required to re-establish their eligibility unless specific and verifiable reasons are recorded.
Citing a Supreme Court judgment, it said that the prior inclusion of a person in the electoral rolls creates a presumption of validity and that any deletion must be preceded by a valid inquiry.
"The burden of proof lies with the ERO or objector, not the voter, especially when the name exists in the official roll," the delegation, which included TDP’s parliamentary party leader Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu and state president Palla Srinivasa Rao, said in its submission.
The delegation met Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.
Noting that the Assembly elections are not due until 2029 in Andhra Pradesh, where the TDP governs in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and other allies, the party said the SIR presents a valuable opportunity to ensure that the electoral rolls are updated in a fair, inclusive and transparent manner.
It told the EC to start the exercise in the state "as early as possible", emphasising the need for adequate time and advance notification.
"To ensure voter confidence and administrative preparedness, the SIR process should be conducted with sufficient lead time, ideally not within six months of any major election," the TDP said.
Highlighting the state's high level of seasonal migration, especially from rural and coastal regions, the party said the SIR should include mobile Booth-Level Officer (BLO) units and accept temporary address declarations to prevent the exclusion of migrant workers and displaced families.
Pitching for procedural clarity in the deletion of names from the electoral rolls and the redressal mechanism, the party urged the EC to provide a reasoned order in such cases, issue due notice, and allow stage-wise verification.
While the above suggestions were made for any future SIR in Andhra Pradesh, the party also submitted a slew of recommendations for the conduct of such exercises across the country ahead of general elections.
It called for annual third-party audits under the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) to identify anomalies, the use of AI-driven tools to flag real-time issues such as duplication, a time-bound grievance redressal mechanism at the local level, and standardised door numbers nationwide to strengthen voter roll verification.
The TDP advocated using Aadhaar for the rectification of duplicate EPIC numbers (voter ID cards), expediting the issuance of unique, non-repeating EPIC numbers nationwide, and replacing the ink-based verification process with a biometric model.
The regional party also pushed for the mandatory involvement of Booth-Level Agents (BLAs) from all recognised political parties in the revision process.
Emphasising transparency, it urged the EC to publish district-wise data on voter additions and deletions, along with explanations, on its official portal. It also suggested implementing a real-time public dashboard to track voter grievances and their resolution.
Among other suggestions, the TDP asked the EC to hold monthly consultative meetings with recognised political parties at the District Election Officer (DEO) or Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) level, and conduct targeted re-enrolment campaigns for migrants, tribal communities, elderly citizens and the homeless.
It also reiterated the need to allow temporary address declarations with basic documentation to prevent the disenfranchisement of mobile populations.
"With a legacy rooted in people-centric governance, institutional integrity and proactive participation in the democratic process, the TDP has consistently championed the voice of the people through electoral engagement," the party said.
It also highlighted the historically high percentage of voter turnout in Andhra Pradesh.