Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Monday alleged that a conspiracy was underway to remove one crore voters from the state’s electoral rolls during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR). He accused the BJP of using the exercise to target votes opposed to the party, particularly those belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and minority communities.

Reddy made the allegations while speaking at a programme held to pay tribute to Communist leader Sarampally Malla Reddy, who died recently. He alleged that the BJP was adopting new tactics after being unable to win elections democratically and claimed that anti-BJP votes were being systematically removed. He also alleged that BJP leaders had indicated plans to replicate in Telangana what the party had done in West Bengal.

The Chief Minister further alleged that private agencies were being used to conduct surveys and remove voters, and accused the BJP of using the Election Commission for its political agenda. The allegations were made in the context of the ongoing SIR of electoral rolls. The source does not provide a response from the BJP or the Election Commission to Reddy’s claims.

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Reddy also called for unity among non-BJP parties to oppose the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the national level. He criticised the Bharat Rashtra Samithi for not raising the SIR issue and questioned the understanding he alleged existed behind its position. He also urged Communist parties to focus on protecting the voting rights of poor people and minorities.

Linking his remarks to the legacy of the Communist movement, Reddy highlighted its history of fighting for the rights of landless poor and workers. He recalled the Congress government’s role in enacting the Minimum Wages Act and said 24.56 lakh acres of assigned land had been distributed, while around 10 lakh acres were currently in the hands of Adivasis. He also cited the Employment Guarantee Act and Food Security Act as measures addressing issues traditionally raised by Communist parties.

Reddy also paid tribute to Sarampally Malla Reddy, describing his death as an irreparable loss to the farming community. He recalled Malla Reddy’s work on issues concerning tenant farmers and remunerative crop prices and assured that his government would continue addressing agrarian concerns while drawing from the causes championed by the late leader. He added that the state Cabinet would discuss measures to perpetuate Malla Reddy’s memory.

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