Ready for SIR, Revanth Tells Kharge

Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy met AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge in Hyderabad on Sunday and discussed the party’s preparations for the upcoming Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls announced by the Election Commission and apprised him of other political developments in the state.

According to party sources, Revanth Reddy informed the AICC president about the measures taken to prevent accidental deletion of voters’ names during the upcoming SIR exercise.

He said ministers appointed in charge of the constituency have been instructed to devote a full day every 10 days to party activities and interact with grassroots workers. The Chief Minister also informed Kharge that he will personally spend one day in the field every 10 days, take care of party workers and devote three days every month only to organizational work.

The Prime Minister also outlined the party’s strategy to monitor the Special Intensive Revision process. He said party leaders and workers have been instructed to closely monitor the functioning of booth-level officers (BLOs) and activate the Congress party’s booth-level network to protect voters’ rights.

Revanth Reddy was accompanied by deputy chief minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, AICC Telangana in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan and TPCC president B. Mahesh Kumar Goud. The meeting was held at a hotel near Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Shemshabad, where Kharge was staying during a brief stopover in Hyderabad before his flight to Gulbarga.

The meeting, which lasted more than half an hour, assumed importance as the Congress government in Telangana completed half of its five-year term on June 7. Sources said Revanth Reddy briefed Kharge about the resolutions and resolutions taken in the last Political Affairs Committee (PAC) meeting of the Telangana Congress aimed at strengthening party organization across the state.

Highlighting those who may face difficulties in the revision process, Revanth Reddy said that the exercise may create difficulties for Lambadas, Adivasis and migrant workers.

He noted that exodus from various constituencies could lead to deletion of genuine voters and stressed that special care must be taken to ensure that eligible voters are not removed from the electoral rolls. He also warned that women, Dalits and minorities may face the risk of losing their voting rights if the process is not followed carefully.

Party sources said Kharge was briefed about the government’s welfare and development initiatives as well as efforts to further strengthen the Congress party’s organizational structure across Telangana.