Asaduddin Owaisi calls on Telangana voters to submit SIR forms early, says genuine electors need not fear anomalies

His appeal came after the Election Commission extended the timeline for the SIR exercise in Telangana, pushing the deadline for house-to-house verification by Booth Level Officers (BLOs) to August 3. The draft electoral roll will now be published on August 10, followed by the claims and objections period from August 10 to September 9, while the final electoral roll will be published on October 12.

Addressing reporters, Owaisi said voters should not wait until the last date to submit their forms.

"Yesterday evening, the Election Commission of India extended the time for giving BLO forms... My request to all the public is to give your enumeration form to BLO by July 30. Every BLO has to upload at least 1,000 to 1,100 forms. If we wait till August 3, it will become difficult," Owaisi said.

The AIMIM chief said voters whose names or whose parents' or grandparents' names are mapped to the 2002 electoral rolls should complete the process without delay. He also urged those who possess supporting documents to attach them with their forms, while advising people without documents to still submit their signed enumeration forms along with basic details such as Aadhaar number, phone number and family information.

Owaisi stressed that voters should not be discouraged if they lack documents, saying failure to submit the form could result in their names not appearing in the draft electoral roll. He also sought to allay concerns over anomalies in the voter list, noting that even Telangana's Chief Electoral Officer had acknowledged that his own name could appear in the anomaly list.

Owaisi said, "There are many doubts about anomalies... The Chief Electoral Officer of Telangana himself said his own name would appear in the anomaly. So there is no need to worry much. When notices come, people can clarify with documents or explain spelling or mapping errors."

The Hyderabad MP said AIMIM has mobilised around 220 lawyers through its legal cell to assist voters who receive notices during the claims and objections period. He added that the party has also developed a dedicated application to help voters verify mapping with the 2002 electoral rolls and has established help desks across Telangana to guide people through the process.

"Our entire effort is that when the final publication comes on October 12, the names of all genuine voters who are alive should appear in the final publication," Owaisi said.

The Election Commission on Wednesday also extended SIR deadlines for Delhi, Punjab and Karnataka and approved a one-time honorarium of Rs 6,000 each for BLOs and BLO Supervisors engaged in the exercise. (ANI)