Hyderabad: Minister for BC Welfare and Transport Ponnam Prabhakar challenged BJP state president N. Ramchander Rao to a face-to-face meeting over alleged Telangana voter deletions. He offered to present official Election Commission records and affected voters to support his allegations.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Ponnam asked Rao to announce a date and time for the meeting. He said he would personally present documentary evidence and citizens whose names had allegedly been removed from electoral rolls.
The Minister said authorities should address the issue through evidence and transparent procedures rather than police action or arrests. He maintained that official Election Commission records would help establish whether eligible voters had lost their voting rights.
Meanwhile, Ponnam criticised BJP leaders over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. He alleged that his own vote had also faced deletion because of clerical discrepancies in his father’s name.
Ponnam claimed that approximately 70 lakh votes had been deleted across Telangana. He further alleged that the exercise disproportionately affected Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Backward Classes and minority communities opposed to the BJP.
The Minister also highlighted the difficulties faced by poor citizens, daily-wage workers, senior citizens and illiterate voters. According to him, these groups must navigate bureaucratic hurdles to establish their eligibility and protect their voting rights.
Telangana voter deletions: Ponnam demands transparent figures
Ponnam demanded that election authorities publish comprehensive figures on Telangana voter deletions. He sought a clear classification separating ineligible voters from eligible citizens whose names were wrongly removed because of administrative errors.
The Minister also referred to earlier voter roll issues involving former Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu. He cited the example to stress the importance of protecting every eligible citizen’s right to vote.
Furthermore, Ponnam criticised derogatory remarks against people who raised concerns about electoral rolls. He said such remarks went against democratic principles and discouraged legitimate questions about the electoral process.
Ponnam reiterated his challenge to Ramchander Rao and offered to present the affected citizens and supporting documents at the proposed meeting. However, the statement did not indicate whether the BJP state president had accepted the challenge.