Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of attempting to influence election outcomes through voter deletions under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. The Telangana BJP has rejected the allegations and challenged the Chief Minister to provide evidence.
Revanth Reddy alleged that the exercise could lead to a situation in which certain sections of society lose their voting rights. He claimed that the BJP was seeking electoral gains by removing voters who oppose the party.
The Chief Minister alleged that poor people, Adivasis, Dalits, minorities and women could be disproportionately affected. He also claimed that voter deletions had helped the BJP win elections in West Bengal and Maharashtra, and accused the party of attempting a similar strategy in Telangana.
These allegations were disputed by BJP leaders.
Telangana BJP Challenges Revanth Reddy
Telangana BJP president N Ramchander Rao asked the Chief Minister to produce evidence supporting his claims of voter deletions.
Rao said no voter had come forward to complain about having their name removed from the electoral rolls and accused Congress leaders of misleading the public over allegations of “vote chori”.
He also criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for repeatedly accusing the Prime Minister, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of involvement in alleged electoral irregularities.
BJP Announces Statewide Rallies
Responding to the Congress's planned participation in a protest rally at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan on November 1, Rao announced that the Telangana BJP would organise rallies and padayatras to challenge what it described as the Congress's false claims.
The campaign will be held under the theme “Save Democracy – Fight Against Anarchy”.
According to Rao, the first rally is scheduled to take place in Hyderabad on November 1, followed by a rally in Siddipet on November 3 or 4 and another in Karimnagar on November 5.
The BJP said the campaign would seek to counter the Congress's allegations and explain its position on the voter revision exercise.
Rahul Gandhi Renews Vote Chori Allegations
The dispute comes amid repeated allegations by Rahul Gandhi that electoral irregularities have undermined the democratic process.
Speaking at a Congress rally in Margao, Goa, Gandhi described the alleged “vote chori” as an attack on the Constitution. He accused the Election Commission leadership and others of wrongdoing and said those responsible would face legal consequences.
Gandhi also challenged the government to initiate legal proceedings over his allegations, saying he was prepared to defend his claims.
The controversy over SIR and alleged voter deletions has intensified the political confrontation between the Congress and the BJP. The competing claims remain disputed, with the BJP demanding evidence and Congress leaders calling for scrutiny of the electoral revision process.
