Vijayawada, August 21: Political parties, legal experts, and civil society representatives gathered at a roundtable conference at Balotsav Bhavan on Friday and unanimously passed a resolution demanding immediate safeguards for every citizen’s constitutional right to vote. The resolution, introduced by CPI (M) State Secretariat member Ch. Baburao, stated that ensuring the voter registration of all individuals above 18 years is a basic responsibility of election authorities. Attendees raised serious concerns over current voter revision practices, warning that notices issued over minor clerical and spelling errors threaten to disenfranchise millions across Andhra Pradesh.
The resolution highlighted that procedural flaws place an unfair burden on voters to prove their eligibility and citizenship credentials, impacting an estimated two million migrant workers who risk losing their voting rights. Speakers noted that 4.4 million names have already been removed from voter rolls, with another 4.4 million notices dispatched to electors across the state.
Demands for Public Verification and Extension
Chaired by CPI (M) State Secretary V. Srinivasa Rao, the meeting urged authorities to conduct Gram and Ward Sabhas to maintain transparency in electoral lists. Rao emphasized that democracy cannot function without voters and political parties, criticizing the current practice of shifting the burden of proof onto citizens. He called for immediate correction of spelling errors, halting the linking of voter registration with citizenship disputes, and extending the registration deadline until the end of September.
Echoing these concerns, speakers across various organizations criticized administrative processing.
CPI Leader Jangala Ajay Kumar and YSRCP Leader Malladi Vishnu Denounced the lack of ground-level verification, pointing out that officials processed forms arbitrarily from offices instead of conducting mandatory door-to-door visits.
APCC Leader Kolanukonda Shivaji and AP Bar Council Member Sunkara Rajendra Prasad Accused the administration of using revision procedures to selectively target electors, warning that losing a vote endangers constitutional rights and access to welfare schemes.
Former IPS Officer A.B. Venkateswara Rao Declared that denying voting rights is unconstitutional and called for setting up dedicated helplines to assist affected voters.
Civil Society Representatives V. Laxman Reddy, Ramesh Patnaik, P. Prasad, M. Venkata Reddy, Uday Warned that failing to respond to notices could lead to permanent loss of voting rights and questioned the broader political intent behind the deletions.
Although representatives from the TDP and Jana Sena were invited to participate, neither party attended the conference.
Formation of Voter Protection Forum
To address systemic defects in the revision process, the conference resolved to form a state-level committee named Otaru Parirakshana Vedika (Voter Protection Forum). Convened by prominent advocate Sunkara Rajendra Prasad, the committee includes members such as A.B. Venkateswara Rao, K.S. Laxmana Rao, V. Laxman Reddy, Ramesh Patnaik, and Kurra Vasundhara. The forum will finalize its full committee list and submit a formal representation detailing required electoral safeguards directly to state election officials.
