AP poll watchdog demands more time for electoral roll verification

The Andhra Pradesh Vote Parirakshana Vedika, a civil society organization monitoring electoral processes, has petitioned authorities to extend the Special Inspection Report (SIR) deadline for electoral rolls in the state. The organization flagged the deletion of approximately 44.89 lakh names from voter registers, raising concerns about the scale and methodology of the purge.

The watchdog group has demanded public disclosure of all deleted voters and those who have been issued notices regarding their electoral roll status. The organization contends that greater transparency is essential to ensure the integrity of the electoral process and to allow citizens adequate opportunity to challenge erroneous deletions.

The Vedika has also requested additional time for independent verification of the electoral rolls, arguing that the current timeline does not permit thorough scrutiny of the changes made. The extension, the group maintains, is necessary to prevent disenfranchisement of eligible voters ahead of any forthcoming elections.

The demand comes amid broader scrutiny of electoral roll management practices across India, where questions about voter verification procedures and data accuracy have drawn attention from poll observers and civic organizations. The Andhra Pradesh authorities have not yet responded to the extension request.