Telangana: SIR Likely To Reduce Urban Voter Numbers In Adilabad

According to rough estimates, nearly 30,000 entries in Adilabad town comprise duplicate voters, deceased persons and those who have shifted elsewhere. These names are expected to be deleted during the revision exercise, potentially altering the voter profile in both Assembly and Parliamentary constituencies.

Sources said many voters with duplicate electoral registrations are choosing to retain their votes in their native villages, citing continued access to welfare schemes, family ties and social connections.

A similar trend is being witnessed in Mancherial municipal corporation, where a large number of Singareni workers and others who migrated from neighbouring districts for employment are reportedly retaining their votes in their native places.

The trend is also reflected in the relatively low percentage of digitisation of enumeration forms under the SIR exercise, despite booth level officers distributing forms to eligible voters.

Political leaders are said to be concerned over the possible impact on their electoral base and are trying to persuade voters to retain their names in municipal electoral rolls.

Many Singareni workers transferred to the Mancherial assembly constituency from Bhupalpalli, Yellandu, Kothagudem, Mandamarri, Goleti and Manthani are reportedly opting to keep their votes in their native villages.

A ward councillor in Adilabad municipality, requesting anonymity, said around 400 voters in her ward with duplicate registrations had chosen to retain their votes in their native villages. The ward has around 2,400 voters and the deletions could significantly affect the electoral roll.

She attributed the trend to concerns over losing welfare benefits and the emotional attachment many voters continue to have with their native villages and families.

According to official figures, the Adilabad assembly constituency has 2,50,393 voters, including 1,03,970 in Adilabad Urban mandal. The Mancherial assembly constituency has 2,83,288 voters, of whom 68,974 are in Naspur mandal and 1,01,128 in Mancherial mandal, both falling within the Mancherial municipal corporation.

Sources said duplicate registrations are particularly high in several wards of Adilabad Municipality. These include voters who have retained their names both in their native villages and in the town where they reside, as well as some voters from neighbouring Maharashtra who had enrolled using relatives' addresses.

Political parties believe the SIR exercise will remove such duplicate entries, leaving only eligible local residents and those who have permanently shifted to the municipality on the electoral rolls.