India

Major Backlog Persists in Graduate Voter Roll Applications for Mahbubnagar‑Rangareddy‑Hyderabad Constituency

By S Bachan Jeet Singh

HYDERABAD – With only a few days left before the deadline to submit enrolment applications for the Mahbubnagar‑Rangareddy‑Hyderabad graduates’ constituency electoral roll, election officials face a large backlog. Of the 467,538 applications received across nine districts, 80,982 have been accepted and 1,907 rejected, leaving 384,649 applications – 82.27% – still pending disposal. A further 56,158 applications have not progressed beyond initial processing.

The most severe delays are in the three districts that contain much of the constituency’s urban population. Medchal‑Malkajgiri has 99,103 of its 109,161 applications pending, a pendency rate of 90.79%. Rangareddy, which received the highest number of applications at 120,197, has 99,832 awaiting disposal (83.06%). In Hyderabad, 61,605 of 71,586 applications remain pending, translating into 86.06%. Initial processing figures are also concerning: Hyderabad has 16,844 applications yet to be taken up, followed by Medchal‑Malkajgiri with 15,432 and Rangareddy with 9,410. Mahbubnagar has another 6,466 awaiting initial processing.

Nagarkurnool shows the lowest pendency rate at 62.82%. Of its 35,614 applications, 12,831 have been accepted and 411 rejected. Narayanpet has a pendency rate of 66.51%, followed by Jogulamba Gadwal at 75.20%, Mahbubnagar at 78.81%, Vikarabad at 80.28% and Wanaparthy at 82.24%.

The exercise has been largely digital, with 466,750 applications submitted online and only 788 through offline mode. Yet the volume of applications has not translated into a comparable pace of disposal. Hyderabad District Election Officer RV Karnan has appealed to gated communities, universities, educational institutions and residential welfare associations to allow Booth Level Officers and other authorised officials to enter their premises for field verification. He said officials were facing restrictions in some establishments, delaying the verification of Form‑18 applications.

The schedule leaves little room for delay. November 6 is the last date for receiving applications. The draft electoral roll will be published on November 25, followed by a window for claims and objections until December 10. Final rolls are scheduled for publication on December 30. With 384,649 applications still awaiting disposal, the coming weeks will test the election machinery’s ability to clear the backlog before the process reaches its next stage.