Telangana Electoral Officer Warns False Voter Declarations Can Lead to One Year in Jail

In Hyderabad, Telangana Chief Electoral Officer C Sudharshan Reddy issued a stern warning to voters regarding the submission of voter registration forms. Reddy cautioned that furnishing false information in enumeration forms or submitting registration forms at two different locations is a punishable offence under the law.

According to the Chief Electoral Officer, individuals who violate these rules could face imprisonment of up to one year, a fine, or both. The warning comes as part of ongoing efforts by the Election Commission to tighten voter registration procedures, ensure accuracy in the electoral rolls, and prevent fraudulent enrolments across the state.

While filling out the enumeration forms, electors must provide details from the 2002 Special Intensive Revision (SIR) electoral rolls. For those whose names are missing from the 2002 records, the Chief Electoral Officer clarified that they can instead furnish the details of relatives who are listed in the rolls.

To facilitate this process, voters can check the 2002 SIR data through the ECINET app, which will be open to the public starting Thursday. In addition to the digital platform, booth-level officers (BLOs) will be deployed to assist voters in filling out the forms and verifying their details on the rolls.

Electors are required to sign a formal declaration as part of the process. This declaration affirms that neither the voter nor their family members have acquired citizenship of another country. It also requires them to confirm that they are not enrolled in any other assembly or parliamentary constituency.

The enumeration form explicitly states that furnishing a false declaration is a punishable offence under section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950. Reddy highlighted that submitting enumeration forms in two different places also constitutes a legal offence. He stated that any voter whose name is registered at two locations must fill out the form only at the place where they currently reside.

The process requires each voter to fill out two copies of the form. One copy, which will be acknowledged by the BLO, is to be retained by the voter for their records. The second copy must be handed back to the BLO to complete the registration.