EC Extends Andhra Pradesh SIR by 10 Days, Telangana Congress Seeks Extension

The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has emerged as a key focus in both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana , with the Election Commission of India (ECI) extending the voter verification exercise by 10 days in Andhra Pradesh, while the Congress in Telangana has urged the poll panel to grant a similar extension, citing the slow pace of the ongoing revision.

The ECI approved a request from Andhra Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Vivek Yadav to extend the door-to-door voter verification drive until July 24 , giving election officials additional time to complete the exercise. The revision programme, which began on June 15 , was originally scheduled to conclude on July 14 . The Commission said the extension would help complete field verification, collection of Enumeration Forms , and the rationalisation of polling stations more effectively.

Under the revised schedule, the draft electoral roll will be published on July 31 , with claims and objections being accepted until August 30 . The scrutiny of applications will continue until September 28 , and the final electoral roll is scheduled to be released on October 10 .

Meanwhile, in Telangana , Hyderabad district in-charge Minister Ponnam Prabhakar , accompanied by a delegation of Congress legislators and senior party leaders, met Chief Electoral Officer C. Sudharshan Reddy and submitted a memorandum seeking an extension of the SIR deadline in the state.

The delegation included MLCs Addanki Dayakar and Balmuri Venkat , MLAs Ganesh and Naveen Yadav , DCC presidents Deepak John and Motha Rohith , and TPCC Election Commission Coordination Committee Chairman Rajesh , among others.

Addressing the media after the meeting, Ponnam Prabhakar said the voter verification exercise was progressing slowly across Telangana, particularly in Hyderabad's 15 Assembly constituencies . He claimed that only about 21% of the revision work had been completed in the district, despite only 10 days remaining under the existing schedule. According to him, voter verification in urban areas has lagged behind expectations, making it difficult to complete the exercise within the stipulated timeframe.

The minister urged the Election Commission to strengthen the field-level operation by deploying additional personnel, including engineering college students, government teachers, and GHMC staff , to assist Booth Level Officers (BLOs) across nearly 4,500 polling stations in Hyderabad. He also said the party had received complaints that BLOs were not visiting households in some localities or distributing the required forms properly, and requested the CEO to address these issues.

Ponnam Prabhakar further stated that the Telangana government had already released funds and ensured timely payments to BLOs, indicating that there were no financial constraints affecting the revision exercise. He emphasised that the priority should now be to improve implementation so that every eligible voter is included in the electoral rolls.

The Special Intensive Revision is one of the Election Commission's most comprehensive voter roll verification exercises, involving house-to-house verification , enrolment of newly eligible voters, updating of voter details, and removal of duplicate, deceased, or permanently shifted electors . The exercise is aimed at enhancing the accuracy and integrity of electoral rolls ahead of future elections.

With Andhra Pradesh receiving a 10-day extension and Telangana pressing for similar relief, the voter roll revision process has gained political significance in both Telugu states. While the Election Commission has already revised Andhra Pradesh's schedule, political parties in Telangana are awaiting the Commission's decision on whether additional time will be granted to complete the exercise comprehensively.