The people in Rajendra Nagar, Rangareddy district, are unhappy with the way the elections are being conducted. They are criticizing the Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and staff for their alleged incompetence and are demanding action against discrepancies in voter information slips and duplicate voter lists.
In the recent elections, out of 581,937 enrolled voters, only 324,917 voted, resulting in a 55.83% voter turnout in Rajendra Nagar. T Prakash Goud, the BRS candidate, won for the fourth time.
However, there have been common complaints in most areas of Rajendra Nagar. People have reported receiving duplicate voter information slips and multiple voter lists just a day before the polling. Rajendra Nagar shares boundaries with densely populated areas of Hyderabad district.
The locals blame the BLOs for these issues and accuse them of working in collusion with local leaders. Many believe that the BLOs, who are mainly property tax collectors, are inefficient and have been in their positions for too long. They claim that these BLOs never physically inspect the field and simply approve or decline voter applications based on the instructions of political activists.
Residents also highlight the fact that these BLOs and other staff members are paid through taxpayers’ money but primarily work for politicians. During the recent elections, discrepancies in voter lists and distribution of voter information slips were reported in almost all areas of Rajendra Nagar.
Srikant Swami, a ward Councilor from Manikonda municipality, has raised concerns about duplicate voter lists and discrepancies in voter slip distribution with the Election Commission and the Collector of Rangareddy. He believes that appropriate action should be taken against negligent BLOs or those who collude with politicians.
Additionally, Swami has noticed that there are non-local workers and watchmen from various apartments in Manikonda who are enrolled as voters in both Telugu States. These individuals often cast their votes in Manikonda municipality despite being registered in their native places in Andhra Pradesh. Swami also criticizes the practice of political leaders throwing parties to influence voters during elections as part of their “Note for Vote” policy.
