Archive · 2 Sep 2026
Hyderabad SIR Deletes 19.4 Lakh Voters, Study Finds
A voter list is a record of people who can vote.
During a special review called the SIR, officials removed 19.4 lakh names from Hyderabad’s draft voter list.
That number was almost as large as all the votes cast in Hyderabad in the 2023 elections.
In Malakpet and Yakutpura, more names were removed than people voted in those constituencies.
Most removed names were marked as belonging to people who had permanently moved away.
Other names were marked as untraceable, deceased, or registered somewhere else.
Muslims made up 40.7% of the removed names, but researchers could not prove whether they were removed at a higher rate than other groups.
The researchers estimated Muslim identity by analysing names because official religion-based voter data was unavailable.
The large deletions have raised concerns that genuine voters could be left off the rolls and that elections could be affected.
The Sabar Institute says 19.4 lakh voters were removed from Hyderabad’s draft electoral rolls.
The deletions equaled 89% of votes polled across Hyderabad in the 2023 Assembly elections.
Deletions exceeded votes cast in Malakpet and Yakutpura, reaching 112% and 110% respectively.
Muslims accounted for 40.7% of deletions, with their share ranging from 12.1% to 85.9% across constituencies.
The report cautioned that religion-wise elector data is unavailable, making the Muslim figures name-based upper-bound estimates.
- Who
- The Sabar Institute analysed the deletions; Muslims accounted for 40.7% of the removed names.
- What
- A reported 19.4 lakh voters were removed from Hyderabad’s draft electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision.
- When
- The Telangana draft rolls were published on August 17; the wider revision began in 2025 and continued through 2026.
- Where
- Hyderabad, Telangana, including all 15 Hyderabad Assembly constituencies and the Malakpet and Yakutpura constituencies.
- Why
- Names were removed after voters were classified as having permanently shifted, being untraceable, deceased, or enrolled elsewhere.
Administrative Revision
Voter-Rights Concerns
Meaning of the deletions
Administrative Revision
The study reports that names were removed under administrative classifications including permanent relocation, untraceability, death, or enrollment elsewhere.
Voter-Rights Concerns
Critics have raised concerns that the process could remove genuine voters from the electoral rolls.
Evidence about Muslim voters
Administrative Revision
The report found that Muslims represented 40.7% of deletions and that their share varied sharply across constituencies.
Voter-Rights Concerns
Researchers caution that the figures come from name analysis, not official religion-wise elector data, so they cannot establish whether Muslims were deleted at a higher rate.
Possible electoral effect
Administrative Revision
The institute highlighted that deletions exceeded the 2023 winning margin in every Hyderabad constituency and exceeded votes cast in Malakpet and Yakutpura.
Voter-Rights Concerns
Concerns have been reported that large-scale deletions could affect genuine voters and potentially shape electoral outcomes, though the articles do not establish that this occurred.
- Total deletions
- 19.4 lakh voters
- Share of 2023 turnout
- 89% of votes polled in Hyderabad
- Constituency comparisons
- Deletions equaled 112% of votes polled in Malakpet and 110% in Yakutpura
- Muslim share
- 40.7% of all deletions
- Muslim deletion range
- 12.1% in Secunderabad Cantonment to 85.9% in Bahadurpura
- Recorded deletion reasons
- 69.3% permanently shifted, 17.5% untraceable, 8.1% deceased, and 5.1% enrolled elsewhere
- Muslim and non-Muslim classifications
- 19.8% of Muslim deletions were marked untraceable, compared with 16% of non-Muslim deletions; 63.8% of Muslim deletions were marked permanently shifted, compared with 73% of non-Muslim deletions
- Constituency impact
- Deletions exceeded the 2023 winning margin in all 15 Hyderabad Assembly constituencies
