Telangana’s electoral rolls just went through a major shakeup. The Election Commission has wrapped up its Special Summary Revision (SSR), finalizing the new voter count, but what followed was anything but calm. Political parties are now locked in heated debates, picking apart the updated lists after the Commission announced plans to remove a huge number of names. Around 73 Lakh names listed under ASDD (Absent, Shifted, Dead, Duplicate).
The Missing Millions: What’s happening?
The state has 3.38 crore registered voters. Out of that, election officials have added a staggering 73.30 lakh people to the ASDD (Absent, Shifted, Dead, Duplicate) — basically, voters who can’t be tracked or verified. Here’s the breakdown:
Permanently Shifted: 45,18,981
Missing or Untraceable: 11,25,546
Deceased: 9,22,230
Duplicate Votes: 6,70,203
Other Reasons: 1,02,294
Since the data for these voters isn’t digitized, their names won’t be anywhere on the upcoming draft roll. The Election Commission is setting them aside as “deleted”— officially out.
Political Parties Hit the Ground
With these many votes in play, all the big parties are scrambling. The Election Commission plans to share the constituency-wise ASDD lists with them, and you can already feel the urgency — leaders are organizing door-to-door checks to see who’s actually gone and who’s still living right around the corner.
Allegations of Unfair Removals
One party jumped straight in, launching their own verification drive at the constituency level. Workers are out, knocking on doors, making sure people marked as “deleted” weren’t really just missed. According to a senior party leader, some neighborhoods never even received enumeration forms, making them wonder if local, eligible voters got dumped into the ASDD category by mistake. The leader didn’t mince words: if they find wrongful deletions, they’ll waste no time taking legal action against those responsible.
Plans to Restore Genuine Voters
Getting a name back from the ASDD list is no simple task. Parties are preparing to work around it. If they find a legitimate voter still living in the area but wiped from the rolls, workers are collecting their documents and SIR-2002 details early. The idea is to file fresh applications through Form-6 and restore their names before the draft roll comes out on the 17th.
Window Open for First-Time Voters
Typically, every January includes a drive to add new 18-year-olds, fix mistakes, and remove names of those who’ve passed on. This year, due to the SSR update, that usual revision didn’t happen. Now, with fresh applications opening, officials expect up to 10,000 new voters to join the list.
Cyber Alert: Fraudsters Exploiting Voter Panic
Voter anxiety is running high, and cybercriminals aren’t missing the opportunity. Scammers are sending fake SMS and making fraudulent calls, all under the guise of the SSR update.
Their tactic: They send WhatsApp links, claiming your voter ID or enumeration form was rejected due to “mistakes.” The link directs victims to a bogus website, where fraudsters collect sensitive details like banking passwords, ATM PINs, and more. Telangana’s Chief Electoral Officer, Sudarshan, sounded the alarm, urging people to steer clear of suspicious links or unsolicited messages about voter status. In times like these, a little caution goes a long way.
