'My India, My Vote,' Governor's Call to Citizens

Hyderabad: Governor Jishnu Dev Varma on Sunday, National Voters’ Day, urged citizens to actively and responsibly exercise their right to vote, stressing that democratic institutions remain strong only when voters participate with awareness and integrity.

Speaking at the state-level celebrations of the 16th National Voters’ Day at Ravindra Bharathi, the Governor said the theme ‘My India, My Vote’ reflected the foundational principle that citizens are at the heart of Indian democracy.

Referring to Article 324 of the Constitution, he said the independence and impartiality of the Election Commission of India were central to ensuring free and fair elections in a diverse nation. Quoting Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi, he emphasised that political democracy could endure only when supported by social democracy and ethical participation by voters.

The Governor lauded Telangana’s election administration for promoting inclusiveness and transparency and praised officials for the peaceful conduct of the Jubilee Hills Assembly byelection.

Earlier, Chief Electoral Officer C. Sudharsan Reddy briefed the gathering on voter enrolment and preparedness. Telangana has 3.39 crore electors across 119 Assembly constituencies in 33 districts, supported by 35,895 polling stations. Reddy said enrolment of young voters and senior citizens had grown steadily, and reiterated that electoral roll revisions were aimed at removing duplicate and ineligible entries, not genuine voters.

Awards were presented to district officials for meritorious work: Pamela Satpathy, collector and DEO Karimnagar, for election management and logistics; Rizwan Basha Shaik, collector and DEO Jangaon, for training and capacity building; and Dr. Satya Sharada, collector and DEO Warangal, for innovative voter awareness.