Telangana Voter Rolls Face Major Shake-Up as 63.5 Lakh Voters Flagged for Deletion !!!

Telangana’s electoral rolls are undergoing a major revision, with around 63.5 lakh voter entries currently marked under the ASDD category during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR). The development has triggered concern among voters as officials work to verify and update electoral records ahead of the publication of the draft voter list.

The 63.5 lakh figure does not mean that all these voters have already been removed. Instead, the entries have been identified for further verification because they fall into categories such as absent, shifted, deceased or duplicate voters.

What Is the ASDD Category?

ASDD refers to voter entries identified as:

• Absent – voters who could not be found at their registered address
• Shifted – voters who have moved to another location
• Dead – entries belonging to deceased persons
• Duplicate – multiple entries believed to belong to the same voter

During the SIR exercise, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are tasked with checking voter information and identifying records that require correction or further verification.

The Election Commission's voter services portal also provides facilities for checking electoral-roll information, correcting entries and handling deletion-related applications.

Why Has the Number Reached 63.5 Lakh?

According to data reported during the latest phase of the revision, the number of voters placed in the ASDD category had risen to approximately 63.5 lakh by August 7.

The exercise has been particularly significant in Hyderabad. More than 14 lakh voter entries in Hyderabad district were reported in the ASDD category, representing nearly 30% of the 47.36 lakh entries from the 2002 voter list used for the revision process. The Hyderabad figure had reportedly increased substantially from around 9.5 lakh on August 4.

Officials have been working against a tight deadline, with August 10 set as the scheduled closing date for the enumeration phase.

More Than 62 Lakh Anomalies Also Detected

The voter-roll revision has identified another major category of concern: anomalies in enumeration forms.

More than 62 lakh entries reportedly contain errors or mismatches. These can include issues involving spelling, dates of birth, parental information and other details.

Together, the ASDD entries and anomaly cases affect roughly 1.2 crore voter records, making the current revision one of the most significant electoral-roll verification exercises in Telangana.

However, these figures should not be interpreted as a final count of voters who will lose their voting rights. The process includes verification, correction and an opportunity for affected voters to raise objections.

Hyderabad Emerges as a Key Area of Concern

Hyderabad is seeing particular attention because of the scale of the entries being reviewed.

The district has 15 Assembly constituencies and more than 47 lakh entries in the 2002 voter database. Of these, over 14 lakh have been placed in the ASDD category according to the latest reported figures.

At the same time, digitisation of voter records in Hyderabad has progressed more slowly than in the state as a whole. Statewide digitisation was reported at about 78%, covering more than 2.64 crore records, while Hyderabad's digitisation level stood at around 58.4% in the latest data cited.

What Happens to Voters Marked ASDD?

Being included in the ASDD category does not automatically mean that a person's name has been permanently deleted.

Voters whose names are affected should contact their local Booth Level Officer (BLO) and ensure that the required enumeration information is submitted and correctly recorded.

Those who have submitted forms online are also advised to retain acknowledgement or other proof of submission.

The Election Commission's official voter services platform allows citizens to access electoral-roll services, including searching their name, correcting information and downloading relevant electoral-roll documents.

What About Errors in the Voter Record?

Anomaly cases generally involve discrepancies between information provided by a voter and existing electoral records.

Examples can include:

• Incorrect spelling of a name
• Date-of-birth discrepancies
• Incorrect parental details
• Other mismatches in electoral records

Affected voters should get the information corrected rather than assuming that the discrepancy will automatically be resolved.

Will These Voters Lose Their Right to Vote?

Not necessarily.

The current figures represent entries flagged for verification, rather than a final list of voters who have lost their voting rights.

The revision process provides mechanisms for claims, objections and verification. According to reports on the Telangana exercise, voters whose records remain in the relevant categories can face inquiry during the subsequent claims-and-objections process.

This distinction is important because the headline figure of 63.5 lakh could otherwise create the impression that 63.5 lakh voters have already been deleted.

Why the Revision Matters

Accurate electoral rolls are essential for ensuring that eligible citizens can exercise their democratic rights while preventing duplicate, deceased, shifted or otherwise invalid entries from remaining on the rolls.

At the same time, a revision involving millions of records needs careful verification because genuine voters can potentially be affected by errors, incomplete documentation or outdated information.

The large number of ASDD and anomaly entries therefore places significant responsibility on election officials, BLOs and voters to ensure that genuine records are correctly retained.

What Telangana Voters Should Do

If you are a registered voter in Telangana, it is advisable to:

1. Check your name in the electoral roll.
2. Verify your address and personal details.
3. Contact your BLO if your record is flagged.
4. Submit the required enumeration information before the applicable deadline.
5. Keep acknowledgement or submission proof.
6. Correct spelling, date-of-birth or family-detail discrepancies.
7. Respond to any official notice received during the claims and objections stage.

The official Election Commission voter portal provides services for searching voter information and correcting electoral-roll entries.

The Bigger Picture

The Telangana voter-roll revision comes amid a wider national focus on electoral-roll accuracy and intensive verification. The Election Commission has been conducting revision exercises in different states, with the objective of updating rolls and removing duplicate or otherwise ineligible entries while providing procedures for eligible voters to establish their status.

For Telangana, the immediate focus will be on completing the enumeration and verification process and ensuring that genuine voters are not left out of the upcoming draft electoral roll.

The 63.5 lakh ASDD figure is therefore best understood as a major verification alert—not a final deletion list. Voters who believe their records may be affected should check their electoral information and contact the appropriate election official without waiting for the final list.

Key Takeaway

Around 63.5 lakh Telangana voter entries have been flagged under the ASDD category during the ongoing SIR exercise. More than 62 lakh additional records have reportedly been identified with anomalies. While the numbers are significant, they do not represent confirmed voter deletions. Affected voters still have opportunities to correct their information and participate in the claims-and-objections process.