Over 2 lakh Telangana voters received SIR notices without reason cited: Study

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More than two lakh voters in Telangana have received notices as part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls with no mention of what discrepancy prompted the action. 

According to an analysis of election data by the Sabar Institute and the Constitutional Guardians Forum, 2.01 lakh electors (2,01,249) were issued notices with the “reason for discrepancy” field left blank. 

The analysis examined 92.85 lakh discrepancy notices, which make up 31.3% of the state’s electorate. 

The largest category was voters classified as ‘unmapped with last SIR’, accounting for 32.37 lakh (34.9%) notices. Another 25.97 lakh (28%) notices related to a mismatch in the parent’s name. Self-name mismatches accounted for 11.14 lakh notices.  

The notices issued were particularly high in constituencies bordering Hyderabad. Quthbullapur recorded notices for 66.6% of its electorate, followed by Kukatpally at 65.4%, Uppal at 57%, Medchal at 56%, and Serilingampally at 55.8%. 

The study also examined the religious composition of voters named in the notices. Overall, Muslim electors accounted for 14.16% of the notices, or 13.14 lakh cases. Their share was substantially higher in several Hyderabad constituencies, including Bahadurpura, Chandrayangutta, Karwan, and Yakutpura. In Bahadurpura, Muslim names accounted for 85.18% of the notices, while the corresponding figures were 71.15% in Chandrayangutta, 54.56% in Karwan, and 61.16% in Yakutpura.  

The analysis found that the reasons recorded in the notices varied considerably. Apart from unmapped voters and parent-name mismatches, other categories included self-name mismatches, parent-child age differences, and gaps of less than nine months between siblings. Notices were also issued in cases involving six or more children — Muslim names accounted for 50.5% of the notices in this category, according to the study.