Ahead of SIR, Telangana CEO Seeks Booth-Level Agents from Parties
Telangana Chief Electoral Officer C. Sudharsan Reddy has urged political parties to appoint Booth Level Agents for every polling station ahead of the Special Intensive Revision of voter rolls.
Hyderabad: With the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls on the horizon, political parties in Telangana have been asked to strengthen their booth-level presence by appointing Booth Level Agents (BLAs) for every polling station.
Chairing a meeting with representatives of recognised political parties, C. Sudharsan Reddy stressed that BLAs would play a critical role in ensuring accuracy and transparency during the revision process. He said agents should ideally be local residents familiar with the polling area and work in close coordination with Booth Level Officers (BLOs).
The Chief Electoral Officer informed party representatives that the SIR is already underway in 12 states, while the schedule for the remaining states, including Telangana, is likely to be announced around April–May 2026. Given the short time frame typically available once the process begins, preparatory activities have already been initiated in the state.
As part of these preparations, officials have completed a table-top exercise linking voters listed in the 2025 rolls with those covered during the 2002 revision. This is now being followed by field-level verification, with BLOs conducting door-to-door visits, particularly in densely populated urban areas. During the SIR, BLOs are expected to make multiple visits to each polling area to distribute and collect enumeration forms and reach households that were unavailable earlier.
Reddy clarified that voters who are missed during the preparatory phase will still have the opportunity to submit their details once the SIR is formally notified. He urged political parties to complete BLA appointments at the earliest, noting that proactive participation at the booth level would help resolve issues quickly and reduce grievances.
The meeting was attended by Additional CEO Vasam Venkateshwar Reddy, Deputy CRO Hari Singh, and other senior election officials.
Analysis: As voter roll revisions increasingly attract political scrutiny, the emphasis on BLAs highlights the Election Commission’s attempt to bring parties into the verification process. For voters, stronger booth-level coordination could mean quicker corrections and fewer disputes during the revision exercise. This assessment reflects analytical opinion; all factual details above are drawn from the original content