States » SouthPosted at: Nov 14 2026 4:28PM


Bharat Summit speakers call for transparency in SIR, protection of voting rights

Hyderabad, Nov 14 (UNI) Speakers at the Bharat Summit 2026 stressed that electoral integrity was essential to safeguarding democracy and called for transparency and accountability in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, expressing concern over the large-scale deletion of voters' names and its impact on marginalised communities.
Participating in a panel discussion on 'Electoral Integrity, Telangana & India', the speakers said the deletion of eligible voters' names, particularly those belonging to Dalit, Adivasi, minority and migrant worker communities, posed a serious threat to democratic rights. They also stressed the need to protect the independence and impartiality of the Election Commission.
The panel featured Dr Sirivella Prasad, AICC In-charge of Maharashtra and Permanent Invitee to the CWC; Telangana MLA Dr. Chittem Parnika Reddy; Prof. Mukulika Banerjee of the London School of Economics; transparency activist Anjali Bhardwaj; Tara Rao of Eddelu, Karnataka; and Prof. Muqtedar Khan of Delaware University. Nikhil Dey, founder member of MKSS, moderated the session.
Dr Sirivella Prasad said electoral rolls were earlier maintained transparently at the village level, but concerns over voter deletions and the voting rights of migrant workers had increased. He referred to the monitoring of electoral trends in around 296 parliamentary constituencies since 2009 through National Election Watch and complaints submitted to the Election Commission over voter intimidation and violence.
Prof. Muqtedar Khan raised concerns over transparency in political funding through electoral bonds and referred to the reported deletion of around 7.7 lakh votes in Hyderabad, stressing the need to safeguard voting rights.
Dr. Chittem Parnika Reddy said the sanctity of elections was a fundamental pillar of democracy and called for greater public awareness, particularly in rural areas, to prevent eligible voters from losing their voting rights.
Anjali Bhardwaj called for transparency, public consultation and adherence to the Right to Information principles in the SIR process. She urged the Election Commission to maintain public confidence in electoral rolls and uphold its independence and impartiality.
Tara Rao urged citizens to actively participate in safeguarding electoral integrity by examining voter lists, identifying irregularities and questioning discrepancies through public audits.
The speakers observed that electoral integrity went beyond the right to vote and was closely linked to democratic values, citizens' rights and government accountability. They stressed that democracy could be strengthened only when every eligible citizen's voting rights were protected, according to a statement.
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Tags: #Bharat Summit speakers call for transparency in SIR# protection of voting rights
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