Kishan Reddy demands removing Rohingya, Bangladeshi voter names
Telangana electoral rolls revision drive begins from June 15
On Sunday, May 17, Union Minister for Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy in Hyderabad urged that any names found on electoral rolls belonging to Rohingyas or Bangladeshi nationals be removed, and called on all political parties to appoint booth-level agents (BLAs) to assist the Election Commission during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voters’ lists. His remarks, given at a press conference, were firm in tone but touched a nerve felt by many citizens who care about the integrity of the ballot.
Reddy stressed that voter lists must include only Indian citizens and promised that BJP BLAs would actively support Election Commission officials during the SIR exercise to ensure removal of any non-citizen entries. For him, the task was straightforward: if a name belongs to a non-Indian staying in the country illegally, it should not appear on the electoral roll. The Union minister framed the appeal as one of protecting democratic processes and the value of each genuine vote.
The comments also took a political turn. Reddy criticised Congress and its leader Rahul Gandhi, asking why they were “feeling the pinch” over removals of alleged illegal Bangladeshi voters during similar SIR work in West Bengal. He said he had faith in booth-level Congress workers and urged them to cooperate with the Election Commission—an appeal intended to present the exercise as civic duty rather than partisan action.
At the same time, Reddy accused Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy of politicising the SIR and of expressing distrust in Booth Level Officers (BLOs). These exchanges underline how electoral roll revisions—procedural and technical in principle—often become entangled in wider political contests. For many voters, that politicisation raises anxieties: will a routine administrative task be allowed to proceed impartially, or will it be used to score political points?
Reddy also responded to recent criticism from the state government over rising petrol and diesel prices, saying the Central government had limited control over fuel costs, which he linked to the crisis in West Asia. He noted that when crude prices were lower, the Centre had cut excise duty and urged states to reduce VAT; several had complied, he said, but Telangana had not. That exchange shifted the focus from electoral rolls to everyday economic concerns—the price of fuel being something that affects commuters, truckers and small businesses across Telangana.
Against this backdrop of political back-and-forth, election administration continued its timetable. Telangana’s Chief Electoral Officer, C. Sudharshan Reddy, announced that the SIR of electoral rolls in the state would begin on June 15. For ordinary citizens, that means a window to check their names, update details or raise objections—an opportunity that can be both empowering and confusing depending on awareness and access to information.
There is a human dimension often lost in these debates. For genuine voters, the SIR is about being counted; for officials, it is about keeping records accurate; and for those wrongly listed, removal can mean a loss of access to democratic participation. The challenge for authorities and political parties alike is to ensure the process is transparent, fair and insulated from intimidation. If handled well, SIR can strengthen public trust in elections; if not, it risks deepening suspicions and communal or political tensions.
Reddy’s call for cooperation from all political parties underscores that ideal: the integrity of the electoral roll is a shared responsibility. As June 15 approaches, citizens and party workers will have to decide whether to treat the exercise as a civic task—meticulous, procedural and impartial—or allow it to become another arena for political confrontation. For voters, the simple hope is predictable: clear rules, fair implementation, and assurance that their right to vote will be protected.