Harish Rao asks party leaders, workers and BLA to be vigilant about the SIR process

BRS leaders T. Harish Rao in a meeting with party workers in Warangal on Sunday. | Photo credit: By arrangement

HYDERABAD

Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Deputy Supreme Leader in the Assembly and former Minister T. Harish Rao has expressed concern over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process of electoral rolls, alleging that the BJP-led central government is using the exercise to remove the names of voters who are supporters of other parties across the country.

Addressing a meeting with party functionaries in Warangal on Sunday, he said reports from various parts of the country indicated that certain political parties had suffered electoral hardships due to widespread vote suppression. He said political parties must understand their role in the verification process at the polling station level and actively participate in protecting voters’ rights.

He said the SIR process is done once in 20 years and was done twice in the past. The ongoing process was restarted across the country in 2026. He urged the Booth Level Agents (BLAs) to remain vigilant and actively participate in the process, noting that the exercise would be more challenging in urban areas like Hanamkonda and Warangal than in rural areas.

Citing Siddipet as an example, he said that family mapping under the SIR process was almost 99% complete in villages, while only about 62% was achieved in Siddipet town. He emphasized the need for party workers to clearly understand the concept of family mapping and its importance.

Noting that the Hyderabad, Warangal and Khammam municipal body elections are still ongoing, he said the extent of participation of BRS cadres in the SIR process will directly affect the party’s performance in future elections, including the Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation polls.

Mr. Harish Rao requested the former corporators and aspiring corporators to take a proactive role in the process. He explained that the first phase of the SIR exercise involves grouping families and that Anganwadi workers and resource persons have been appointed to assist the process at the booth level. He said political parties were formally included in the process and that Booth-level agents should work closely with Booth-level officers.

He instructed party workers to file complaints immediately whenever Booth-level officers were uncooperative. Mr. Harish Rao further explained the process and said that family grouping forms the basis of the SIR exercise. Individuals who were eligible to vote in 2002 would serve as reference points and their family members’ data would be linked accordingly.

Published – 14 Jun 2026 21:15 IST