Vijayanagara launches special intensive revision of electoral rolls; draft list on August 5

Deputy Commissioner and District Electoral Officer Kavita S. Mannikeri at a press conference on special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Hosapete on Friday (June 5). | Photo credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Deputy Commissioner and District Electoral Officer Kavita S. Mannikeri said on Friday (June 5) that a special intensive review (SIR) of electoral rolls is underway in Vijayanagara district as per the guidelines of the Election Commission of India, with preparatory activities underway.

Addressing a press conference at the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Hosapete, Ms Mannikeri said voters have until June 16 to include, delete and map descendants of names in the electoral rolls. The portal would then be frozen and no modifications would be allowed until the draft voter list is published.

She said the training of Booth Level Officers (BLOs), preparatory work and printing of forms would take place from June 20 to 29. Subsequently, the BLOs will undertake a house-to-house verification drive from June 30 to July 29, during which they will visit each household three times, provide census forms and obtain signatures from voters.

The draft voter list will be published on August 5. Complaints and objections can be filed from August 5 to September 4, with the final list of voters to be published by the Election Commission on October 7, it said.

Explaining the documentation requirements under the SIR process, Ms Mannikeri said voters whose names are already on the electoral roll and who were born before July 1, 1987, will have to submit any of 12 approved documents setting out their date and place of birth.

Persons born between 1 July 1987 and 2 December 2004 must provide proof of their own date and place of birth along with proof of the date and place of birth of either parent. Persons born after 2 December 2004 will need to provide proof of their date and place of birth and proof of both parents. In cases where neither parent is an Indian citizen, a valid passport and visa documents of the parent at the time of birth must be submitted. Individuals born outside India or those who acquired citizenship through naturalization must submit relevant registration documents issued by Indian missions abroad or citizenship certificates, she said.

The Deputy Commissioner said the Election Commission has enabled online voter registration, eliminating the need for eligible citizens and first-time voters who have reached the age of 18 to submit physical applications. Candidates can contact the concerned BLO through the details available on the Election Commission website and complete the process online. Funds were also provided for repairs and minor adjustments.

Voter facilitation centers will be opened in the offices of village administrative officers, local bodies, tahsildar and Nada Kacheris offices to help the public. These centers will help citizens who lack Internet access or computer literacy to complete the registration and review process.

The district currently has 1,234 polling stations in five assembly constituencies and an electorate of 11,42,861 people, which includes 5,65,999 male voters, 5,76,735 female voters and 127 voters in the third gender category.

The Deputy Commissioner said meetings have already been held with representatives of political parties and they have been advised to appoint Booth Level Agents (BLAs) to assist the BLO and ensure transparency in the revision process.

To clear up the misconceptions, she said that the SIR exercise was not aimed at removing names from the electoral rolls. Citizens should cooperate with the BLO during home visits and provide the required information. If the name of any eligible voter is omitted, it can be mentioned on production of supporting documents like birth certificates, ration cards or MGNREGA cards. Aadhaar, she added, would only be considered as an identity proof and not a residence proof.

Public objections to electoral rolls would be reviewed and resolved at the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) level through a quasi-judicial process. Ms. Mannikeri urged citizens not to be fooled by rumours, and take full advantage of the special revision exercise.

Published – 05 Jun 2026 19:23 IST