Telangana parties urged to appoint BLAs ahead of electoral roll revision
HYDERABAD: Political parties in Telangana have been asked to appoint at least one Booth Level Agent (BLA) for every polling station ahead of the forthcoming Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, with Chief Electoral Officer C. Sudharsan Reddy stressing the importance of booth-level coordination.
Booth level coordination key to SIR
Addressing a meeting with representatives of recognised political parties at the office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Reddy said BLAs should preferably be residents of the polling station area and work closely with Booth Level Officers (BLOs). He said each polling station must have at least one BLA to ensure accuracy, transparency and timely resolution of issues during the revision process.
Schedule likely in April–May 2026
The CEO said the SIR is currently underway in 12 states and that the schedule for the remaining states, including Telangana, is expected to be announced during April–May 2026. With limited time available once the exercise is notified, he said preparatory work had already begun in the state.
Mapping and house-to-house verification underway
As part of preparations, table top mapping has been completed to link electors in the 2025 electoral rolls with those covered during the 2002 SIR. This is being followed by field level mapping, with BLOs undertaking house-to-house visits to identify and verify residences, particularly in urban areas.
During the SIR, BLOs are expected to make three to four visits to each polling area. Enumeration forms will be distributed during the first visit, while subsequent visits will cover households that were unavailable earlier. Reddy clarified that electors not mapped during the preparatory phase would still be able to submit their details during the SIR.
Reiterating the role of political parties, the CEO urged them to complete the appointment of BLAs for all polling stations at the earliest, stating that effective participation at the booth level would help minimise grievances and ensure that no eligible voter is excluded from the electoral rolls.
The meeting was attended by Additional CEO Vasam Venkateshwar Reddy, Deputy Chief Electoral Officer Hari Singh, and other officials.
