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New Indian Express
5 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
TDP urges EC to allow sufficient time for voter list revision, asserts enrolled voters need not prove identity again
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.
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Business Standard
5 days ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
TDP urges EC for more time, easy inclusion in voter roll revision
The TDP urged the Election Commission (EC) on Tuesday to give adequate time to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Andhra Pradesh, saying it should not be held within six months of a major poll and the voters already enrolled in the latest roll be not required to reestablish their identity. The suggestions offered by the BJP ally to the poll watchdog come amid a political row over the ongoing SIR in Bihar as its implementation close to the Assembly polls in the eastern state 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 Telugu Desam Party (TDP) delegation told the EC. Batting for the "presumption of inclusion", it said the 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 the prior inclusion of a person in electoral rolls creates a presumption of validity and 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, including TDP's parliamentary party leader Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu and its state president Palla Srinivasa Rao, said in its submission. The delegation met Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and ECs Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi. Noting that the Assembly polls are not due till 2029 in Andhra Pradesh, which the TDP governs along with its allies, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), it said the SIR provides 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", stressing 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. Noting that the state has a high level of seasonal migration, particularly from rural and coastal regions, it said the SIR should deploy mobile BLO (booth-level officer) units and accept temporary address declarations to prevent the exclusion of migrant workers and displaced families. Pitching for procedural clarity on the deletion of anyone from the electoral rolls and the redressal mechanism, it urged the EC to give a reasoned order in such cases with due notice and allow stage-wise verification. While the above-mentioned suggestions were made by the party for any future SIR in Andhra Pradesh, it made a slew of advices for a similar exercise to be held across the country for the general election. It called for annual third-party audits under the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) to identify anomalies, use of Al-driven tools to flag issues like duplication in real time, ensuring a time-bound grievance-redressal mechanism at the local level and having standardised door numbers nationwide as a policy to strengthen electoral-roll verification. The TDP advocated using Aadhaar for the rectification of duplicate EPIC numbers (voter card), expediting the issuance of unique, non-repeating EPIC numbers nationwide and replacing the ink-based verification process with a biometric model. The regional party batted for a mandatory involvement of booth-level agents (BLAs) from all recognised political parties in the revision process. Emphasising transparency, it said the poll watchdog should publish district-wise data on voter additions and deletions with explanations on its portal and implement a real-time public dashboard for tracking voter grievances and their resolution. Among other suggestions, the TDP asked the EC to hold monthly consultative meetings with recognised political parties at the DEO or ERO level, conduct targeted re-enrolment campaigns for migrants, tribal groups, elderly citizens and the homeless. It also called for allowing temporary address declarations with basic documentation to prevent 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, it said. The party also highlighted the high percentage of voter turnout historically in Andhra Pradesh.
India.com
5 days ago
- Politics
- India.com
ECs Special Intensive Revision: BJPs Ally TDP Seeks Poll Bodys Clarification Over Scope, Citizenship
The Special Intensive Revision of the electoral roll, being done by the Election Commission of India, has raised several eyebrows, not only in opposition but among the ruling coalition as well. Smaller regional parties are concerned about the implications of the voter roll revision and fear disenfranchising of lakhs of voters. After the opposition parties, now the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has written to the Election Commission seeking clarity over the issue. A delegation of the TDP leaders led by its State president Palla Srinivasa Rao met the Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi in New Delhi and shared their concerns related to the SIR. In its letter, the TDP has sought clarity from the EC on 'the scope of the exercise' while urging the EC to make it clear that the SIR is not related to citizenship verification. CEC Gyanesh Kumar and ECs Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi had an interaction with a delegation from the Telugu Desam Party led by its State President Shri Palla Srinivasa Rao and received their suggestions at Nirvachan Sadan, New Delhi today. — Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) July 15, 2025 'The scope of the SIR must be clearly defined and must be limited to electoral roll recorrection and inclusion. It should be explicitly communicated that the exercise is not related to citizenship verification, and any field instructions must reflect this distinction,' reads the TDP letter to the ECI. The TDP also urged the ECI not to conduct the SIR within six months of the polls. 'To ensure voter confidence and administrative preparedness, the SIR process should be conducted with a sufficient time lead,' the letter reads. According to an Indian Express report, the TDP also urged the EC not to force voters included in the electoral rolls to re-establish their eligibility 'unless specific and verifiable reasons are recorded'. Notably, the TDP's letter comes after the ECI ordered Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of all states to begin preparations for a Bihar-like exercise with January 1, 2026, as the qualifying date. Notably, the voter list revision in Bihar has sparked a huge protest from the opposition parties with the case moving to the Supreme Court. The SC has permitted the ECI to carry out the exercise but imposed some riders to address the concerns raised by the political parties.
Hans India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
An action plan on anvil to transform Gajuwaka segment
Visakhapatnam: Visakhapatnam Mayor Peela Srinivasa Rao stated that a special action plan is getting ready to develop Gajuwaka as an important industrial hub. On Sunday, he, along with Gajuwaka MLA and state TDP president Palla Srinivasa Rao, ward corporators Boddu Narasimha Patrudu, Rajana Ramarao, Lella Koteshwar Rao, and TDP deputy floor leader Gandham Srinivasa Rao, laid foundation stones for several development works under zone VI, covering 65, 71, and 86 wards. Speaking on the occasion, the Mayor said that continuous efforts are being made for the development of Gajuwaka. He reiterated that under the leadership of Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu, the coalition government is consistently implementing various development and welfare programmes that aim at the holistic growth of the state. He informed that works worth approximately Rs 5.55 crore have been initiated under GVMC funds for construction of VRCC drains, retaining walls, and drinking water pipelines at multiple locations such as Priyadarshini Colony, Visakha Nagar Sanjeevayya Giri Colony, and Ashok Nagar. Similarly, in ward 71, drinking water pipelines were being laid at a cost of about Rs 49.6 lakh. In ward 86, foundation stones were laid for CC roads, RCC drains, CC culverts, and VRCC box culverts at various locations at an estimated cost of Rs 1.54 crore. The Gajuwaka MLA said that efforts are being made to ensure that Gajuwaka constituency stands first in the state in terms of development. He mentioned that a special action plan is being executed to systematically develop every ward in Gajuwaka. He added that the Chief Minister is continuously working with the sole objective of state development. The programme was attended by GVMC VI zonal commissioner BRS Seshadri, executive engineer MRS Prasad, assistant engineer Kedar Nath, among others.
Hans India
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Both govt & YSRCP take up door-to-door campaign
Visakhapatnam: After a year, the alliance and YSRCP decided to cross swords. Even as their agendas vary, they intend to check people's pulse, launching campaigns. As the NDA government turns a year old, the alliance flagged off a door-to-door drive under the banner 'suparipalana lo tholi adugu' (first step towards good governance). In connection with it, the ministers plus MLAs swung into action to reach out to constituents in their respective segments, highlight schemes offered, future plans in store along with the initiatives taken so far. On the contrary, the YSRCP is all set to initiate its campaign to flag the government lapses in the past one year. This includes non-implementation of Super Six assurances, absence of development and promises unmet. Recalling Chandrababu Naidu's manifesto, the YSRCP is gearing up to roll out the 'Babu surety-mosam (cheating) guarantee' campaign. Through the drive, the YSRCP leaders intend to take up the government's lapses at district, village and mandal levels. As part of its 'suparipalana lo tholi adugu', the alliance leaders are reaching out to households with a different goal altogether. Along with highlighting the commitments made so far, the aim of the drive is to make people understand how the state is witnessing signs of growth despite five years of YSRCP's misrule. In addition to building awareness about the welfare schemes, the alliance is also keen on educating people on Central government schemes, industries that are going to be established in the state, investments made so far and jobs created for the youth. Agreeing that the Opposition has a right to bring forth the lapses of the government, TDP state president and Gajuwaka MLA Palla Srinivasa Rao, says, 'But there will not be any use even if the YSRCP takes up any false campaign as people have seen what the state government has done in the past one year. They will make the right decision based on the facts and will not get carried away with false propaganda,' the MLA shares with The Hans India. Already, the NDA government implemented schemes such as increased pensions, free LPG cylinders, revived Anna canteens and 'thalliki vandhanam'. Soon, initiatives like 'annadata sukhibhava' and free bus travel for women will also be launched. While the YSRCP plans to launch a door-to-door campaign under the banner 'Babu surety-mosam guarantee', the BJP-TDP-JSP is focusing on its three-month-long drive wherein each party will focus on an entire month for campaigning. With both the alliance and YSRCP deciding to reach out to people through two different agendas, it has to be seen whether people would emerge as more decisive or confused.
