Kavitha Raises Serious Questions Over Election Commission’s SIR Exercise
Telangana Rakshana Sena chief Kalvakuntla Kavitha has expressed serious concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls being carried out by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in Telangana. She alleged large-scale irregularities in voter deletion and inclusion, particularly in Kodangal, represented by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, and Bodhan Assembly constituencies.
Speaking at a media conference held at the TRS office in Banjara Hills, Kavitha claimed that before the last Assembly elections, nearly 30,000 duplicate votes existed in Kodangal. She further alleged that 11,000 voters from Sedam constituency in neighbouring Karnataka were also registered as voters in Kodangal.
‘Duplicate Votes Equal CM’s Victory Margin’
Kavitha alleged that Kodangal had 22,000 duplicate votes and 11,000 voters from Karnataka, adding that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy won the election by a margin almost equal to the number of alleged duplicate votes.
She questioned whether the Election Commission had acted in favour of the Chief Minister and demanded a clear explanation from the poll body regarding these allegations.
Questions Over the Basis of 2026 SIR
Kavitha said several surprising issues have emerged during the ongoing SIR exercise and accused the Election Commission of adopting a double standard in deleting voter names.
She pointed out that India has conducted Special Intensive Revision (SIR) eight times since Independence, while Summary Revision (SSR) is carried out every year. However, she questioned why the 2026 SIR is being conducted based on the January 2025 SSR voter list instead of the January 2026 electoral roll, calling it a matter that raises serious doubts.
Why 7,000 Voters Deleted in Bodhan but Only 808 in Kodangal?
According to Kavitha, a deeper examination of the SIR process reveals several inconsistencies.
She alleged that around 7,000 voter names were deleted from Bodhan over the past one and a half years. However, the Election Commission has not clarified whether these voters had migrated, passed away, or were identified as duplicate voters.
In contrast, she questioned why only 808 votes were deleted in Kodangal, despite allegations of large-scale duplicate voter registrations. She demanded that the Election Commission explain the disparity between the two constituencies.
‘No Notices Issued Before Mass Deletion of Votes’
Referring to actor Prakash Raj, Kavitha noted that authorities reportedly took seven years to identify and remove his duplicate voter registrations across three states.
Against that backdrop, she questioned how 7,000 votes in Bodhan could have been deleted within just 18 months.
She further stated that Election Commission rules require three notices to be served to every voter if more than 2% of the electorate in a constituency is proposed for deletion. According to her, no such notices were received by affected voters.
“If notices were indeed issued, the Election Commission should make all the details public,” she demanded.
Calls for National-Level Duplicate Voter Detection
Kavitha also responded to Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy’s statement that foreigners should not be allowed to vote in India, saying she agreed with that principle.
However, she questioned how the Election Commission intends to prevent a person from being registered as a voter in multiple states, pointing out that the Commission currently lacks an effective nationwide mechanism to identify and eliminate interstate duplicate voter registrations.
She also questioned the purpose of spending ₹1,400 crore on the SIR exercise if duplicate votes across states cannot be effectively identified and removed.
Supports ‘One Nation, One Election, One Vote’
Kavitha suggested that the SIR exercise should evolve into a permanent mechanism capable of removing duplicate voter registrations across the country.
She said the initiative should strengthen free and fair elections and supported the concept of “One Nation, One Election, One Vote.”
She urged the Election Commission to focus on interstate migration and duplicate voter registrations while also clarifying how voting rights would be ensured for nomadic communities. Additionally, she suggested that all members of the same family should, as far as possible, be assigned to the same polling station.
Demands Transparent Electoral Rolls
Concluding her remarks, Kavitha said the SIR process would be meaningful only if it succeeds in eliminating duplicate voters across different states.
She stressed that transparent electoral rolls are essential, especially for new political parties, and urged the Election Commission to provide comprehensive answers to every concern raised regarding the ongoing voter revision exercise.
