Telangana’s Chief Electoral Officer C. Sudharshan Reddy has rejected the Bharat Rashtra Samithi’s (BRS) accusations of large scale bogus voting in the Jubilee Hills assembly bypoll. In a statement today, the CEO said that a preliminary probe found no evidence of mass irregularities in voter registrations at the addresses flagged by BRS.
The Allegations by BRS – KTR
- BRS Working President K. T. Rama Rao (KTR) had alleged that thousands of “outsider and fake voters” were illicitly added to the electoral rolls in the Jubilee Hills constituency. He claimed that in 400 polling booths, many addresses saw 32, 43, or more new registrations in suspicious clusters.
- The party estimated about 12,000 outsider voters and 19,000 questionable entries overall, citing multiple entries per person, duplicate names, and registrations at addresses where no residents were found.
- KTR formally submitted a complaint to the CEO, urging deletion of ineligible entries, a full investigation, and accountability for officials who allegedly facilitated these additions.
CEO’s Response & Preliminary Findings
- According to C. Sudharshan Reddy, a preliminary inquiry led by Hyderabad’s district collector R. V. Karnan and election officers examined two major addresses flagged by BRS. The inquiry found that these locations are genuine residential clusters with multiple units and that the voter entries were not newly added but had been on record since 2023.
- He clarified that there was no change in the number of electors at those addresses since the 2023 state elections, countering claims that mass new registrations had taken place.
- “So far, there is no evidence of large scale bogus voter additions,” said the CEO, while adding that the verification process is still ongoing to maintain electoral integrity.
Contrasting Viewpoints & Rebuttals
- The District Election Authority (DEA), in response to KTR’s claims, stated that many addresses had multiple residences, explaining higher voter numbers per house. They also said that the counts at those addresses had remained unchanged since prior elections.
- BRS continues to stand by its allegations, arguing that ground level checks show registrations in houses where the owners asserted none of the listed electors live there.
- Political observers note that the CEO’s response helps defuse immediate tension, but the BRS may escalate the matter to the Election Commission of India for thorough scrutiny.
Implications & What to Watch
- The CEO’s firm dismissal reduces immediate pressure on election officials and strengthens the credibility of the current voter registry if subsequent verification holds.
- The BRS is likely to press for deeper audits, deletion of entries if found invalid, and possible disciplinary action against electoral staff.
- How the allegations and responses shape public perception ahead of the November 11 bypoll is under close watch, especially in a high stakes urban constituency like Jubilee Hills.
