Hyderabad, Oct 2026 : Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Thursday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was seeking to deprive poor and marginalised sections of their voting rights as they had turned against the party. He made the remarks while participating for the second consecutive day in the INDIA bloc’s protest in New Delhi, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Reddy joined Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and other Congress and INDIA bloc leaders in a sit-in protest at Raj Ghat. He alleged that the BJP had attempted to divide the people of India along religious, caste, regional and linguistic lines.
According to a statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office, Reddy alleged that central investigative agencies had also been misused to put pressure on the Opposition and weaken institutions.
He claimed that with the BJP facing the prospect of defeat, the country was being divided into two groups — those who retained the right to vote and those whose votes were allegedly being taken away.
“The BJP is afraid of poor people who have turned against it, including Dalits, tribals, OBCs and minorities. Hence, they want to take away their votes,” Reddy alleged.
The Telangana Chief Minister further claimed that if the voting rights of 13 crore or more citizens were taken away, it would constitute one of the largest exercises of disenfranchisement in the world. He noted that the figure was larger than the population of several countries.
Reddy also raised concerns over the projected number of voters in future elections. He said that voter numbers had consistently increased in every election since 1952, including the three most recent Lok Sabha elections during which Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power.
Against this historical trend, he alleged, the total number of voters could decline in the next elections if the ongoing process continued.
However, Reddy expressed confidence that the people of India would not allow their voting rights to be taken away. He stressed that the issue was not limited to the Congress or the INDIA bloc, but concerned the future of the country and its democratic institutions.
The Telangana Chief Minister also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP of relying on divisive political tactics to retain power. He referred to what he described as the “imperialist British playbook” of creating divisions among people.
Reddy said the Congress was founded with the objective of securing India’s Independence rather than merely acquiring political power. He said the freedom movement ultimately ensured that every Indian citizen received the right to vote.
“Today, if the government can illegally take away people’s votes, tomorrow all their rights, including reservations and fundamental rights, will also be taken away,” he said.
Reddy maintained that protecting the right to vote was a responsibility shared by all citizens and political parties. He said India would continue to stand for the voting rights of every citizen and asserted that no force could prevent people from defending their democratic rights.
He also demanded action against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and called for the reversal of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
Reddy said the government should reverse the SIR process and restore the voting rights of every eligible citizen. He further warned that failure to address the Opposition’s concerns would have serious political consequences for the BJP.
The INDIA bloc’s continuing protest has centred on allegations regarding the electoral roll revision process and demands for greater transparency in the functioning of the Election Commission. The ruling BJP and the Election Commission have maintained their respective positions on the electoral process and the ongoing revision exercise.
