TS Panchayat polls: EC starts voter enrolment drive from Dec 26 to Jan 25

Even as the opposition parties are trying to figure out the reasons for their disastrous defeat in the Assembly polls, the ruling TRS is gearing up for the upcoming elections to gram panchayats and Lok Sabha.

It is making attempts to kill two birds with one stone by actively participating in voter enrolment drive launched by the Election Commission of India (ECI) and setting the stage for poll campaign. Besides, the party has also taken up the exercise of strengthening its party base across the State.

The TRS has been holding constituency-wise meetings as thanksgiving to its party activists and felicitating the unsung heroes among them who have been working for the party’s victory in the State. The new initiative has given the much-needed boost to the party cadres who had worked tirelessly during the Assembly poll campaign. This exercise is meant to rejuvenate them for the next round of elections. Simultaneously, the party cadre have been prepped up to actively participate in the voter enrolment drive to be conducted by the ECI from December 26 to January 25.

“Soon after he took charge as the TRS working president, KT Rama Rao has begun the exercise of strengthening the party from the grassroots level to ensure a clean sweep for the party in the Parliament elections. While plugging minor gaps that resulted in the defeat of the party candidates in some Assembly constituencies, it was observed that several voters were unable to utilise their voting right due to missing of names in the voters’ list despite having voter identity cards. Our working president suggested that we do not repeat our mistakes during the Parliamentary elections,” a TRS general secretary told ‘Telangana Today’.

To ensure that TRS consolidates all its votes, the party leaders have been asked to file a complaint with the Election Commission to restore the missing names of voters. Senior party leaders, including the State Executive Committee members and former Ministers, have been entrusted with the task of reaching out to people and encouraging them to take up new voters registration.

On Tuesday, Rama Rao also tweeted requesting everyone to utilise the opportunity given by the ECI and enrol their names if they were missing from the list in the recent Telangana Assembly elections.

“The idea is to remain in close contact with people of the State. We have supplied nearly 10 lakh forms, including Form 6, Form 8 and Form 8A required for new enrolment, changes of details and transfer of names from one constituency to another constituency respectively. Our party activists will reach out to people over the next 10 days and distribute these forms and encourage them to enrol their names or make necessary changes to enable them to use their voting rights during the parliamentary elections without fail,” another party leader said.

Simultaneously, the party leaders will continue their campaign for the gram panchayats where elections are scheduled to be held next month. While the reservation roster for gram panchayats was completed on Sunday, the State Election Commission is expected to issue an election notification in the coming fortnight.