Hyderabad, July 7: The ongoing SIR process has left many settler voters in Hyderabad divided over whether to retain their voting rights in the city or shift them to their native states. The uncertainty has increased as voters are required to remain registered at only one location.
In areas such as Vanasthalipuram, Golnaka, Medchal and Miyapur, many settlers from northern states said they would keep their voter registration in their native places while continuing to live and work in Hyderabad.
However, settlers from Andhra Pradesh who have lived in the city for years and own property said they prefer to retain their voting rights in Hyderabad. Some others are still undecided.
The revision of electoral rolls has also created confusion in the Amberpet Assembly constituency, which has nearly 2.85 lakh voters, including thousands of migrants from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Bihar.
According to local estimates, nearly 60,000 to 70,000 voter registrations could be affected if people choose to retain their votes only in their native places. Many residents said they consider voting in their hometown a matter of personal importance, while permanently settled families prefer to remain registered in Hyderabad.
Several voters also complained about difficulties in verifying their names during the ongoing exercise.
Lakshmi, an elderly resident who earlier lived in Khairatabad and later shifted to Borabanda, said she has been visiting officials for a week to confirm whether her name exists in the electoral rolls. She alleged that despite carrying her old voter ID and Aadhaar card, she could not get any clear response from election officials or Booth Level Officers.
Meanwhile, Jubilee Hills constituency in charge Maganti Sunitha Gopinath urged officials to distribute SIR process forms to every eligible voter. During a visit to Yousufguda and Krishnanagar, she said Booth Level Officers should conduct proper mapping to ensure that no eligible voter loses the right to vote.
