Minister Ponnam Prabhakar Hits Back at BJP Over Voter List Issue

Telangana Minister Ponnam Prabhakar has responded to remarks made by state BJP president Ramchander Rao over the voter list controversy. He urged the BJP leader to stop speaking as though the Election Commission were an organisation under the control of political parties. Prabhakar stressed that the preparation and revision of electoral rolls, including the deletion of voter names, are constitutional processes that fall under the jurisdiction of the Election Commission of India. Questioning the claim that missing names could be added back into the system by the party, he said the priority should be protecting the voting rights of every eligible citizen. He added that his side was prepared to present evidence of alleged voter deletions and bring affected voters forward as part of its effort to safeguard democracy.

Prabhakar called for a thorough examination, in accordance with Election Commission rules, of allegations concerning the use of Forms 6 and 7 during electoral roll revisions. He demanded that Ramchander Rao clarify whether BJP workers had filed complaints seeking voter deletions through Form 7 in the Musheerabad constituency. The minister also urged political leaders not to divert the issue into a religious debate and instead focus on transparency in the electoral process. He further questioned the BJP over its contribution to Telangana and the state's farming community during its more than a decade in power at the Centre, calling for clarity on the implementation of state bifurcation promises and farmers' welfare measures. He urged all parties to move beyond political accusations and work towards protecting every eligible citizen's right to vote.