YSRCP seeks easier verification for voters with mismatched records
The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) has requested the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Andhra Pradesh and the Election Commission of India (ECI) to make the verification process simpler for electors whose records are classified as unmapped or mismatched.
In a representation submitted to the CEO on Wednesday, YSRCP State general secretary and MLC Lella Appi Reddy urged the election authorities to issue uniform instructions across the State on three specific issues. These include allowing parents or blood relatives to submit documents on behalf of electors, making the verification venue mandatory in every notice, and providing assistance through Booth Level Officers (BLOs). The party shared the letter with the media on Thursday.
Mr. Appi Reddy noted that many affected electors may be students, employees, migrant workers, or persons temporarily residing away from their native places. Such individuals might not be able to appear personally on the date specified in the notice. He requested that parents or blood relatives be permitted to submit the required documents on behalf of these electors, along with proof of relationship and proper authorisation. This, he said, would help ensure that genuine voters are not excluded merely because they could not be physically present.
The MLC also pointed out that in some notices, the place of verification had reportedly been left blank. He argued that a voter cannot reasonably be expected to comply with a notice without knowing where to appear. He urged the authorities to ensure that every notice clearly mentions the exact venue, date, time, and details of the officer concerned before it is served on the elector.
Mr. Appi Reddy further called for greater involvement of BLOs in the verification process. Instead of requiring every elector to approach a higher-level electoral officer personally, he suggested that the concerned BLO should be involved in receiving documents and conducting preliminary or field-level verification. The final statutory decision could continue to rest with the competent Electoral Registration Officer or Assistant Electoral Registration Officer, while BLO-level facilitation would enable voters to resolve discrepancies locally and quickly.
He appealed to the Election Commission to issue uniform State-wide instructions on these three issues so that no genuine elector is excluded because of procedural difficulties, temporary absence from the constituency, or lack of clarity in the verification notice.
