BJP Urges Telangana CEO to Issue Notice to CM Revanth Reddy Over Voter List Remarks

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has approached the Telangana Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) seeking action against Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy over his alleged remarks relating to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls. The party alleged that the Chief Minister's statements were inconsistent with election norms and had the potential to influence voters during an active electoral process.

A BJP delegation, led by Marri Shashidhar Reddy, Chairman of the party's Election Commission Affairs Committee, submitted a memorandum to the CEO on Saturday. The delegation also handed over a video that it claimed contained the Chief Minister's remarks, urging the election authorities to examine the content and take appropriate action.

According to the BJP, Revanth Reddy allegedly warned people in rural areas that if their names were missing from the voter list, they could be denied benefits under government welfare schemes such as Kalyana Lakshmi, Shaadi Mubarak, and the Indiramma Housing Scheme. The party argued that linking access to welfare schemes with voter registration was legally untenable and could create unnecessary fear and confusion among citizens.

In its complaint, the BJP stated that conveying the impression that welfare benefits depend on inclusion in the electoral roll was contrary to the spirit of the Constitution and the legal framework governing elections. It further contended that such statements, made while the Special Intensive Revision exercise is underway, amounted to an attempt to exert "undue influence" on the electorate and could undermine the fairness and credibility of the voter registration process.

The party urged the CEO to issue an immediate notice to the Chief Minister, direct him to withdraw the alleged remarks, and ask him to issue a public clarification through electronic and social media stating that a Voter ID card is not mandatory for availing government welfare schemes.

The BJP also referred to an earlier clarification issued by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, which stated that government welfare benefits are not conditional upon possessing a Voter ID card. It requested the Telangana CEO's office to widely publicize this clarification through official videos and social media platforms so that citizens are accurately informed and are not misled during the ongoing voter list revision exercise.