Hyderabad Voter Rolls Under Attack as Telangana Files First FIR for Fake Form 7
Hyderabad is at the centre of an escalating controversy over the Special Intensive Revision of Telangana's electoral rolls, with the state registering its first FIR for alleged submission of fraudulent Form 7 voter-deletion applications, a fresh bulk-deletion attempt targeting Muslim electors in Goshamahal, and a new national health survey revealing Telangana has India's highest caesarean delivery rate.
🗳️ First FIR in Telangana for Fake Form 7 Targets BJP Booth Level Agent at Musheerabad
A Booth Level Agent affiliated with the BJP has become the first person in Telangana to face criminal charges over the alleged submission of fraudulent Form 7 applications during the state's ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. The case was registered on October 6 at Chikkadapally Police Station against S. Balachander, identified as a BJP-affiliated Booth Level Agent in the Musheerabad area of Hyderabad. Based on a complaint filed by an election official, Balachander stands accused of submitting Form 7 applications that sought the deletion of 30 electors from the voter list. The FIR was registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Representation of the People's Act, making it the first such criminal action in Telangana connected to the SIR exercise. Telangana Congress leaders had previously filed a complaint with the state Chief Electoral Officer, C. Sudharshan Reddy, alleging that Balachander submitted Form 7 applications at Musheerabad targeting those 30 electors. Officials examined the forms and observed that the information provided did not match the relevant assembly segment details. Police confirmed the FIR is under active investigation. A photograph published alongside the report identifies Balachander in the company of BJP MP K. Laxman, indicating his connection to the party's local electoral presence. The case marks a significant escalation in official scrutiny of Form 7 misuse during the SIR period. [6]
🗳️ Owaisi Flags Attempt to Bulk-Delete 122 Muslim Voters in Goshamahal via Pre-Printed Form 7
Hyderabad Member of Parliament Asaduddin Owaisi has raised a fresh alarm over the alleged misuse of Form 7 applications in the Goshamahal Assembly constituency, which falls within the Hyderabad parliamentary seat, during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision exercise. Owaisi alleged that pre-printed Form 7 copies were submitted with the purpose of seeking the deletion of 122 electors from the voter roll, all of whom are identified as Muslim. The Booth Level Officer for the relevant area rejected the forms and declined to process them. Election officials responding to the matter stated that no further action would be taken because no pressure had been placed on Booth Level Officers to accept the applications. Owaisi sought action from election authorities against the alleged BJP supporter he claims attempted the bulk submission. He described the incident as yet another instance of misuse of Form 7 during the SIR exercise, framing it as part of an established pattern. The applications were pre-printed rather than individually completed, which Owaisi highlighted as indicating an organised rather than spontaneous submission attempt. Officials maintained that BLOs are under no obligation to accept forms they find irregular and that the rejection provides sufficient protection against fraudulent deletions in this case. The Goshamahal complaint follows earlier reports of similar Form 7 misuse attempts in other parts of Hyderabad during the same SIR period. [4]
🎓 Telangana Tops India with 62% C-Section Rate While Rural Districts Rajanna Sircilla and Jagitial Cross 80%
Data published from the sixth National Family Health Survey, known as NFHS-6, shows that Telangana has the highest caesarean section rate of any Indian state, recording a rate of 62.2 per cent of all deliveries. This figure is more than double the national average for caesarean deliveries in India. The findings identify a striking geographic pattern within Telangana itself: the most elevated caesarean rates are found not in Hyderabad but in the state's rural districts. Rajanna Sircilla and Jagitial have both crossed the 80 per cent threshold, meaning more than four in every five deliveries in those districts are now carried out through caesarean section. Despite the concentration of private hospitals in Hyderabad, the city ranks only 21st among Telangana's 33 districts in terms of caesarean delivery rates. Telangana's statewide figure of 62.2 per cent is more than double the national average, placing the state in a category of its own on this health metric nationally. The NFHS-6 survey covers all 33 of the state's districts and reveals that the rural belt, not the urban capital, drives Telangana's position at the top of India's caesarean delivery rankings. The fact that Hyderabad sits 21st among 33 districts underlines how widely the phenomenon extends across the state, far beyond the influence of the capital's private maternity sector. [5]
Sources: [6] The Siasat Daily · [4] The News Minute · [5] The South First