As Andhra Pradesh begins its first Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in 24 years, the Election Commission has launched a massive exercise focused on door-to-door verification, removal of illegal entries and voter list transparency. Amid growing political scrutiny, Andhra Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Vivek Yadav speaks to S Guru Srikanth and S Viswanath of The New Indian Express on the roadmap and challenges ahead.
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Are all BLOs, BLO Supervisors, AEROs, EROs and DEOs in place without vacancies?
We have ensured that there are absolutely no vacancies across those administrative positions. Regarding training, the first round conducted by the CEO office down to the grassroots level is already complete. A second round is about to commence, where District Collectors will train personnel at the district level down to the BLOs. Concurrently, consultation meetings are scheduled across multiple tiers. We will first conclude constituency-level meetings under Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) with local political party representatives. This will be followed by district-level meetings chaired by the Collectors.
Does ERO refer to the constituency-level officer?
Yes, each constituency has an Electoral Registration Officer, usually of RDO or ACP rank. After constituency and district-level meetings, a state-level meeting under the CEO is scheduled on May 26, with notices already sent to political parties. Parties have also been asked to appoint Booth Level Agents (BLAs) for every booth. Collectors have been directed to train BLAs through EROs to ensure they clearly understand the SIR process and its implementation.
How will the EC prevent bogus entries and deletion of genuine voters during the SIR?
The last intensive electoral roll revision was held in 2002 in united Andhra Pradesh. After nearly 24 years, the ongoing SIR aims to prepare fresh rolls by removing deaths, migration and duplicate entries, while ensuring no genuine voter is wrongly deleted through strict verification.
How will seasonal migrant workers in Rayalaseema be protected from deletion during the survey?
During the door-to-door survey, BLOs will distribute enumeration forms to households for submission. If a house is locked, votes cannot be deleted immediately. BLOs must make three visits and verify details with neighbours. Temporary migrant families will retain their votes, and deletions will be made only after due inquiry and notice procedures.
What is the timeline for the door-to-door survey, and what follows it?
The door-to-door verification must be completed by June 20. The data will then be digitised, leading to a Draft Publication of the electoral roll. After the draft is published, we will open a window for public claims and objections, allowing anyone to rectify errors or add missing names before finalising the list.
What is your response to the concerns raised by TDP and YSRCP over the SIR process?
Political concerns are for parties to address. Administratively, all parties must appoint Booth Level Agents (BLAs) for every polling station. BLAs enable parallel grassroots verification of electoral rolls and ensure transparency in the voter list compilation process.
How can ordinary citizens verify their current status on the electoral roll?
Voters can check their details on the ‘CEO Andhra’ portal using either their identifier number or name. Furthermore, we have digitised and uploaded the historical 2002 booth-wise electoral data. For those who resided in states like UP, Delhi, or Telangana back then, the ECI portal provides direct links to search respective state databases.
When will the final publication take place?
The entire operational window runs from June 5 through September, culminating in the final publication of the electoral rolls on September 30.
In view of past reports on illegal Bangladeshi migrants in Vijayawada, what steps is the EC taking to prevent ineligible foreign nationals from entering the voter list?
An official case was indeed registered in AP regarding the issue. If an individual is not a legal Indian citizen - whether from Bangladesh, Myanmar, or elsewhere - we must absolutely ensure they do not access our electoral roll. Our protocol is threefold: first, actively weed out any foreign nationals who have managed to get onto the current rolls; second, maintain strict vigilance to block new fraudulent applications; and third, immediately flag any identified foreign nationals to the Home Department and competent law enforcement authorities for statutory legal action.
What support do you require from the State government in terms of personnel and funding?
The Collectors are in position, and we simply require the State to promptly fill any remaining ERO vacancies. Funding for this exercise is shared on a 50:50 basis between the Central and State governments, and our cash flow is completely secure. The entire administrative apparatus consists of government employees who are statutory legally mandated to execute election duties, so the machinery runs smoothly.
How do you view instances where state governments challenge election guidelines in the Supreme Court?
State governments generally litigate policy matters or constitutional validity. As a statutory authority, we operate strictly under explicit guidelines issued by the Election Commission. A legal dispute between a state government and the courts does not alter our operational mandate.
Will the door-to-door survey affect Census operations?
No. The Census house-listing phase concludes by the end of May, whereas our door-to-door verification commences on June 5. As the schedules do not overlap, there will be no administrative clash, allowing us to proceed smoothly.