Applications for voter enrollment for elections to two Graduate MLC constituencies in Telangana so far represented 50.56% of the 10.36 lakh electors on the 2021 rolls. The image is used for representative purposes only. | Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL Only 26,085 applications, or 4.98% for enrolment as voters for Graduate MLC elections in Telangana had been approved, while 4,96,112 applications, accounting for 94.72% of the total, were pending verification.
Another 1,581 applications were rejected.This is the story so far as the deadline for voter enrolment for the elections to two Graduate constituenciesin Telangana ends on November 6. The two constituencies are Mahabubnagar-Rangareddy-Hyderabad and Warangal-Khammam-Nalgonda.The applications received so far represented 50.56% of the 10.36 lakh electors on the 2021 rolls.
At the prevailing rate of enrolment, the total could reach only about 7.7 lakh by the deadline, or roughly 74% of the previous electorate.Applications in two constituenciesIn the Mahabubnagar-Rangareddy-Hyderabad Graduates constituency, 2,29,937 applications were received, of which 4,695 were approved and 2,25,133 remained pending verification. In the Warangal-Khammam-Nalgonda constituency, 2,93,821 applications were received, with 21,390 approved and 2,70,979 pending.Hyderabad district has seen very low response with just 17,165 applications received from the district as of October 15, accounting for 11.2% of the applications in the Mahabubnagar-Rangareddy-Hyderabad constituency, despite Hyderabad having 169 of its 656 polling stations.The reasons for slow enrolment may be due to inadequate awareness among existing electors, difficulties in obtaining gazetted officer attestation of educational certificates, insufficient field-level assistance and the overlap with the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.Since the graduate electoral rolls were being prepared afresh, even those enrolled in 2021 were required to apply again through Form 18, according to former Minister and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLA T Srinivas Yadav.Such is the situation that many graduates were unaware that an earlier enrolment did not automatically carry forward to the new rolls.
The applicants were facing difficulties in getting their degree or diploma certificates attested, while online applications remained pending for want of field verification or submission of authenticated documents.The BRS, which submitted a representation to the Chief Election Commissioner through the Chief Electoral Officer of Telangana, sought an extension of the November 6 deadline, for submission of Form 18, to December 6.Free attestation soughtThe contestants and the hopefuls are seeking a directive to all government departments, universities, colleges, hospitals and public sector undertakings to ensure that gazetted officers attest certificates free of cost. It proposed special enrolment camps and help desks at Tahsildar offices, municipal and Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) circle offices, government degree colleges and other institutions.BRS seeks use of digitally signed certificatesThe BRS also called for the use of digitally signed certificates available through DigiLocker and the National Academic Depository, along with electronic verification through universities, to reduce dependence on manual attestation.The party also argued that people eligible for enrolment should not be required to submit their educational documents afresh when the records were already available with election authorities.
It proposed that such electors be allowed to refer to their earlier enrolment records while furnishing proof of current residence.The representation called for weekly publication of district-wise and officer-wise enrolment figures, including applications received, approved, rejected and pending at different stages. It also sought individual SMS and email alerts informing applicants about missing documents and the status of their applications.The BRS further asked the Commission to clarify that applications should not be rejected merely because details furnished from the SIR draft electoral roll differed from those in the final roll, or because an applicant was shown as shifted or deleted.It said applicants should be allowed to establish their ordinary residence in the graduates’ constituency before an adverse decision was taken.