HYDERABAD: BRS working president KT Rama Rao on Tuesday expressed serious concerns over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar and also on the use of EVMs in the polls.
During a meeting with the Election Commission of India in Delhi, the BRS leader said that the SIR exercise was unwarranted, especially with elections on the horizon, and cautioned that it could lead to large-scale voter deletion, especially among migrant and disadvantaged communities.
“Documents like Aadhaar and voter ID must suffice for voter eligibility,” he added. The BRS delegation, which also comprised Rajya Sabha members KR Suresh Reddy and Vaddiraju Ravichandra, former MP B Vinod Kumar, and senior leaders Balka Suman and RS Praveen Kumar, made a representation to the Chief Election Commissioner, calling for withdrawal of the current SIR in Bihar.
It suggested institution of biannual, scientific and transparent revision processes, the formation of booth-level all-party committees to verify deletions or modifications, and the prominent public display of voter rolls at regular intervals.
The BRS also expressed concern over the continued use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), citing growing public distrust and international precedents. “The BRS would like to voice its serious concern about suspicions over use of EVMs.
Several media reports to this effect have surfaced over the last few years. Many political parties, activists and voters have also expressed their concerns about the use of EVMs,” the BRS mentioned in its letter to the ECI.
The BRS urged the ECI to consider reinstating paper ballots, starting with the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections in November 2025, to restore public confidence in the democratic process.