Voters in the peripheral areas of GHMC find enumeration of Telugu SIRs a challenge

Booth-level officers distributing enumeration forms to residents during a house-to-house visit as part of special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad. | Photo credit: RAMAKRISHNA G

Dozens of voters were caught in the dark when they received Special Intensive Revision (SIR) forms in Telugu. Confusion ensued, followed by apprehension.

According to Mohammed Zafar, a resident of Suleman Nagar constituency, all voters of booth number 293 in Rajendra Nagar Assembly constituency have received forms in Telugu. While a few people can speak Telugu, reading and writing in the language is a different matter altogether.

“There are eight voters in my house. All voters in my booth have been given Telugu forms. This constituency is in GHMC limits,” said Mr. Zafar. “People have great difficulty reading or understanding the form. But local leaders are now helping them.”

In another case, MA Kareem, a resident of Jalpalli, a district, formerly a municipality near Barkas, which recently became part of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), also received an enumeration form in Telugu on June 28. “It would be easier for everyone if the enumeration form was in English, if it was at least limited to GHMC in the entire Telu city. English, things would be easier,” he said.

“Not being able to read the forms in the language that we are comfortable with, be it Telugu or English, can lead to problems for the voters,” said Mr. Kareem. The BLOs have made it clear to voters that no other form will be supplied, he added. “In this case, it is all the more important to have the form in a language that the voter understands. I have seen people using translation apps. It can help to some extent, but the bigger question is whether any translation using the app is really accurate. Even some people whose mother tongue is Telugu cannot read or write Telugu. The bigger issue is to make all the voters understand the form,” he said.

Mohammed Ahmed Vindhani, a resident of Jalpalli, said that his immediate and extended family have received the Telugu enumeration forms. “I have come across cases where those who don’t speak Telugu have watched YouTube explainer videos and filled the forms. Many people here are not highly qualified. BLOs should be the ones to help. Unfortunately, they don’t have the time or don’t know the process well,” he said.

Published – 01 Jul 2026 20:54 IST