Telangana CM Revanth Reddy unveils Congress plan to shield Dalit, minority votes in SIR
Synopsis
Telangana CM Revanth Reddy is treating the upcoming Special Intensive Revision not as a routine electoral exercise but as a political battleground. By deploying SIR in-charges across all 119 Assembly and 17 Lok Sabha seats, he is signalling that Congress sees the voter roll revision as a direct threat to its core support base — Dalits, minorities, and migrant workers — and is mobilising early to counter it.
Key Takeaways
Revanth Reddy announced a Congress action plan on 29 May to prevent deletion of vulnerable voters in the upcoming Special Intensive Revision (SIR) .
Dedicated SIR in-charges will be appointed for all 119 Assembly and 17 Lok Sabha constituencies in Telangana.
Communities at risk include Dalits , minorities , Lambada , Adivasi , and migrant workers .
Mahila Congress will hold cluster-wise SIR meetings; Rajya Sabha members and MLCs assigned to Hyderabad region.
CM Reddy will personally meet village-level Congress functionaries once every 10 days , dedicating 3 days a month to party workers.
Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Friday, 29 May laid out a detailed Congress action plan to prevent the deletion of voter registrations belonging to vulnerable communities — including Dalits, minorities, tribal communities, and migrant workers — ahead of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, scheduled to begin in Telangana next month. The strategy was unveiled at the Congress Political Affairs Committee (PAC) meeting held at Gandhi Bhavan in Hyderabad.
The SIR Threat to Vulnerable Voters
Chief Minister Reddy warned that the SIR could disproportionately affect Lambada, Adivasi, and migrant worker communities, many of whom have relocated from their registered constituencies. 'In several Assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies, a significant number of people have migrated elsewhere. The possibility of the omission of votes of Dalits, minorities, and women is also not ruled out in the SIR,' Reddy said at the meeting.
The concern is not merely political — electoral roll revisions have historically resulted in the unintentional deletion of registrations for mobile or marginalised populations who may not be present at their registered address during verification drives.
Key Organisational Measures Announced
Reddy directed the party leadership to appoint dedicated SIR in-charges for all 119 Assembly constituencies and 17 Lok Sabha constituencies across the state. These in-charges are expected to visit their respective areas regularly and ensure no eligible voter is struck off the rolls. 'We can ensure that not a single vote is deleted only when the in-charges perform their duties,' the Chief Minister stated.
Within Hyderabad city, SIR meetings are to be organised on an Assembly constituency basis across all 15 constituencies falling under the city limits. Rajya Sabha members and Members of the Legislative Council (MLCs) will be assigned specific responsibilities in the Hyderabad region.
Role of Mahila Congress and Senior Leaders
The Mahila Congress has been tasked with conducting cluster-wise SIR meetings to ensure women voters are not inadvertently removed from electoral rolls. Reddy also called for the advice of former Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) Presidents to be sought and incorporated into the party's SIR response strategy.
Ministers In-Charge have been directed to dedicate one full day every 10 days exclusively to party activities, with mandatory field visits and direct interaction with grassroots workers.
CM's Personal Commitment
Revanth Reddy announced that he himself would meet Congress functionaries at the village level once every 10 days, committing to devote three days a month exclusively to party workers. He appealed to all Congress leaders to move forward with a spirit of coordination as the SIR process approaches.
Notably, this mobilisation comes as the Election Commission of India's voter list revision exercise draws scrutiny from opposition parties across multiple states, making Telangana's response a closely watched test case for how ruling parties navigate the process. With the SIR set to begin next month, the pace of Congress's ground-level preparation will be critical.
Point of View
Minority, and migrant constituencies form the backbone of Congress's 2023 electoral coalition, and any large-scale deletion — even if procedurally routine — would disproportionately hurt those vote banks. What is notable is that Reddy is framing a bureaucratic exercise as a political emergency, deploying constituency-level in-charges and committing his own calendar to it. Whether this machinery actually functions on the ground, or remains a Gandhi Bhavan resolution, will determine its real impact.
NationPress
15 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Telangana?
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is an Election Commission of India-mandated exercise to update and clean up electoral rolls, scheduled to begin in Telangana next month. It involves door-to-door verification that can result in deletion of voter registrations if residents are not found at their registered addresses.
Why is CM Revanth Reddy concerned about the SIR?
Reddy has warned that the SIR could lead to the deletion of voter registrations for Dalits, minorities, Lambada, Adivasi communities, and migrant workers who may have relocated from their registered constituencies. He described it as a potential major issue for these vulnerable sections.
What steps has Congress announced to protect voters during the SIR?
Congress will appoint SIR in-charges for all 119 Assembly and 17 Lok Sabha constituencies in Telangana. The Mahila Congress will hold cluster-wise meetings, Rajya Sabha members and MLCs will cover Hyderabad, and CM Reddy himself will visit village-level functionaries every 10 days.
Who are the communities most at risk of voter deletion in the SIR?
According to CM Revanth Reddy, the communities most at risk include Dalits, religious minorities, women, Lambada and Adivasi tribal communities, and migrant workers who have moved away from their registered addresses.
How often will CM Revanth Reddy engage with party workers during the SIR period?
CM Reddy announced he will meet Congress functionaries at the village level once every 10 days and will dedicate three full days per month exclusively to party workers during the SIR period.
