Telangana election officials have ordered an accelerated drive to complete graduate voter registration in the Warangal-Khammam-Nalgonda constituency, with instructions to prevent duplicate entries, verify educational qualifications and make polling stations accessible to voters.
Additional Chief Electoral Officer Dr Vasam Venkateswar Reddy issued the directions during a review of the enrolment process at the Nalgonda Collectorate on Thursday. He told officials that there should be no scope for errors in the registration process and asked them to ensure that all eligible graduates receive voting rights under the applicable rules.
Officials have been instructed to examine original educational documents, including certificates, marks memos and provisional certificates. Employee certificates linked to educational qualifications may also be checked where required. Reddy said additional staff should be deployed if necessary to speed up the verification of applications.
The process will involve separate checks at the field and administrative levels. Booth-level officers have been directed to verify voters’ residential details through field visits, while the relevant officials will examine the educational qualifications submitted with applications. Officials have also been told to identify and reject duplicate voter entries in accordance with election rules.
Address-change applications are to be processed strictly under the prescribed procedures. The instruction is significant for a constituency spread across multiple districts, where changes in residence can affect the accuracy of electoral rolls and the allocation of voters to polling stations. The report did not specify the number of applications pending or the total number of graduate voters being enrolled.
Reddy also directed officials to consider accessibility and proximity while selecting polling stations. Polling locations should be easily accessible and, where possible, be located near voters’ residential areas. The directions place responsibility on election officials to address both the accuracy of the electoral roll and the practical ease with which registered voters can reach their assigned polling locations.
The review also covered logistical preparedness for the election. Reddy asked officials about the availability of ballot boxes and jumbo ballot boxes required for polling. Any shortage of election materials in a district is to be reported immediately so that arrangements can be made.
The Warangal-Khammam-Nalgonda Graduates’ Constituency is therefore entering a preparation phase in which voter eligibility, residence details, polling-station access and material availability are being handled together. The officials’ next steps are to complete certificate and field verification, resolve address-related applications and report any shortage of polling equipment.
