Minister Ponnam Challenges Telangana BJP Chief to Meet Voters Who Lost Voting Rights

Telangana Minister Ponnam Prabhakar has challenged state BJP president N. Ramchander Rao to announce a date and time for meeting people who claim to have lost their voting rights. Responding to Rao’s challenge to identify even a single affected voter, the minister said he was ready to bring forward genuine complainants along with supporting evidence.

In a video released on Sunday, Ponnam urged the BJP leader to address the grievances of affected citizens instead of resorting to police action against those raising concerns. He called for a transparent examination of the allegations surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The minister alleged that around 13 crore votes had been deleted nationwide, including 40 lakh in Hyderabad and 70 lakh across Telangana. He urged the Election Commission to examine its records and disclose how many deleted entries belonged to ineligible voters and whether the names of eligible citizens had been removed inadvertently.

Ponnam maintained that electoral rolls should be corrected wherever necessary, but the process must not deprive eligible citizens of their democratic rights. He also sought an explanation from the BJP over allegations that voters from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Backward Classes and minority communities were being disproportionately affected.

Highlighting the difficulties faced by vulnerable sections, the minister said poor people, senior citizens, daily-wage workers and those with limited literacy could struggle to establish their eligibility if they were repeatedly required to visit government offices and produce additional documents.

Ponnam also cited his own experience, alleging that discrepancies in his father's name, including variations such as Satthayya and Satyanarayana Goud, had raised questions about his voter registration. He questioned why additional proof should be demanded despite the availability of identity documents such as Aadhaar. He further called for scrutiny of former Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu's remarks concerning voter registration and documentary requirements.

Describing voting as a constitutional pillar of democracy, Ponnam urged the Election Commission to ensure fairness and transparency so that no eligible voter was excluded. He said those defending voting rights should not be humiliated and pledged to continue the campaign under the slogan, “Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao,” calling for the protection of democracy and the Constitution.