Telangana High Court Asks Election Commission to Consider Providing Enumeration Forms in Urdu

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to consider making Enumeration Forms available in Urdu for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) 2026 of electoral rolls, taking into account the large number of Urdu-speaking voters in Hyderabad.

The direction was issued by Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy while hearing a writ petition filed by social activist M.A. Mujeeb Ayub.

The petitioner informed the court that the Enumeration Forms being distributed from June 25 to July 24 under the Special Intensive Revision campaign are available only in Telugu, creating difficulties for thousands of voters who speak Urdu and other languages.

Counsel for the petitioner argued that nearly 20 percent of Hyderabad‘s electorate consists of Urdu-speaking voters. Providing the forms only in Telugu, the petitioner contended, could undermine equal access to the electoral process for linguistic minorities. The plea sought directions to make the forms available at least in Telugu and English across the state, while ensuring that Urdu versions are provided in areas with a significant Urdu-speaking population.

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Appearing for the Election Commission, counsel Avinash Desai submitted that printing the forms in multiple languages would substantially increase costs. He informed the court that, following consultations with political parties, the Commission had decided to publish the forms in Telugu and English. However, Urdu-language dummy forms would be made available with Booth Level Officers (BLOs) to assist Urdu-speaking voters in filling out the forms.

After hearing both sides, the High Court adjourned the matter for one week and directed the Election Commission to clarify the languages in which Enumeration Forms are being published in other states, including West Bengal, Rajasthan and Bihar. The court also sought a detailed report on the issue.

The court also referred to its earlier observations, stating that merely making the forms available online is not sufficient. It observed that the Election Commission has a responsibility to ensure that every eligible voter can easily understand and access the forms in a language they comprehend. The court had previously noted that limiting the forms to Telugu alone could create barriers for students educated under the CBSE and other central education boards, residents from other states and members of various linguistic minority communities, raising concerns about equal access to the electoral process.