Telangana electoral updates: EPIC numbers not mandatory for graduates

Telangana Chief Electoral Officer C. Sudharsan Reddy has issued a directive stating that officials must not reject Form-18 applications for Graduates’ Constituencies solely because applicants lack an Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) number. This instruction follows guidance from the Election Commission of India as enrolment begins for the Mahabubnagar-Rangareddy-Hyderabad and Warangal-Khammam-Nalgonda constituencies. The deadline for submitting Form-18 applications is November 6, 2026, with draft electoral rolls scheduled for publication on November 25.

Separately, the Telangana Voter Rights Forum held a public hearing in Hyderabad to address grievances regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. Voters reported issues such as being incorrectly flagged as deceased, permanently shifted, or untraceable. A verification exercise conducted by the forum in the Musheerabad constituency found that approximately 41 percent of 1,829 surveyed voters had received notices, with many residents finding themselves erroneously removed from electoral rolls or required to provide additional verification despite remaining in their localities.