Telangana’s Chief Electoral Officer C. Sudharsan Reddy has directed election officials not to reject graduates’ constituency enrolment applications solely because applicants have not provided an Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) number, ahead of the 2027 Legislative Council elections.
In a memo issued on Monday, Reddy instructed officials to process applications submitted through Form-18 for the Mahabubnagar-Rangareddy-Hyderabad and Warangal-Khammam-Nalgonda Graduates’ Constituencies. The direction follows instructions from the Election Commission of India as Telangana begins preparing fresh electoral rolls for the constituencies.
The qualifying date for enrolment is November 1, 2026. Eligible graduates must submit their applications by November 6, either online through the Chief Electoral Officer’s website or through physical submission channels.
Applicants can submit Form-18 and the required supporting documents to the Electoral Registration Officer, Assistant Electoral Registration Officer, designated officer or additional designated officer. Applications may also be sent by post to the ERO, AERO or designated officer. The Election Commission’s process requires authenticated copies of the relevant documents and certificates to accompany every application.
The CEO’s direction addresses a potential barrier for applicants who may not have an EPIC number readily available. However, the memo also clarifies that the absence of an EPIC number cannot by itself be used as a reason to reject a Form-18 application. Applicants must still provide the documents and certificates required to establish their eligibility.
The electoral rolls for the Graduates’ Constituencies are being prepared afresh. This means that all eligible persons, including those whose names already appear on the existing rolls, must submit fresh applications using the modified Form-18. Referring only to an entry in an existing electoral roll will not be sufficient to establish eligibility for the new rolls.
The elections to the two Graduates’ Constituencies are due in March 2027. The draft electoral rolls will be published on November 25. Applicants and other stakeholders can file claims and objections between November 25 and December 10, after which the objections will be disposed of by December 25.
The final electoral rolls are scheduled to be published on December 30. The enrolment process and subsequent claims period will determine which eligible graduates are included in the rolls used for the elections.
