ECI Bars Family Register Certificates For Telangana Voter Enrolment, Says BJP

The Election Commission of India has clarified that Family Register Certificates cannot be used for voter enrolment during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision in Telangana, BJP state president N. Ramchander Rao said on Thursday.

Speaking to the media following the poll body's clarification, Rao stated that the BJP had earlier lodged a complaint with the Election Commission against using Family Register Certificates (FRCs) for voter registration. He said the commission subsequently instructed that FRCs cannot be accepted for enrolment during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

Rao stated that the Election Commission's order determined that the FRC, which was introduced by the state government through GO MS No. 172 on July 25, is equivalent to a ration card. Under election guidelines, it is meant solely for accessing government welfare schemes and subsidised rice, and cannot serve as proof of identity for inclusion in electoral rolls.

Citing the Election Commission's 2013 guidelines, the BJP state president explained that the older Family Member Certificate remains valid because it is issued following proper field verification. In contrast, the newly introduced FRC is generated electronically from food security card data without any field verification, disqualifying it from being used for electoral verification.

Rao alleged that the state government introduced the FRC with a malafide intention to facilitate bogus voter enrolment and allow individuals without proper identity documents to register on the electoral rolls. He further alleged that the move was initiated at the behest of the AIMIM, adding that political parties must stop sheltering illegal vote banks.

Rao noted that the BJP has also challenged the state government's order in the Telangana High Court to protect the integrity of the electoral process.

The draft electoral rolls in Telangana are scheduled to be released on August 17, following which citizens will have the opportunity to submit claims and objections.