Several Tollywood celebrities and other prominent personalities living in Hyderabad have reportedly chosen to retain their voting rights in their native places in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh instead of continuing as voters in the city.
The development has come to light during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
According to Telangana Chief Electoral Office officials, several film personalities, including members of prominent Tollywood families, informed Booth Level Officers that they preferred to keep their votes in their native towns in Andhra Pradesh.
Officials said that although some of these celebrities may not regularly exercise their franchise there, they have chosen to retain their names on the electoral rolls in Andhra Pradesh while giving up their voting rights in Hyderabad.
The Jubilee Hills Assembly constituency is home to a large section of the Telugu film industry, including actors, directors and producers. Many of them have been living in the area for several decades and own houses there.
SIR data from Jubilee Hills shows a large number of changes in the electoral rolls. As many as 1,48,859 electors have reportedly been identified as permanently shifted, the highest among the 15 Assembly constituencies in Hyderabad.
The data also reportedly shows that 8,232 voters are deceased, 13,500 are untraceable, and 7,279 electors are already enrolled elsewhere.
Election officials said that the desire to maintain a connection with their hometowns is one of the reasons why several celebrities have preferred to retain their voting rights in Andhra Pradesh.
Another factor is that some of them continue to own agricultural land and other properties in their native places.
The development has drawn attention because many of these celebrities spend most of their professional and personal lives in Hyderabad, yet continue to identify their native places in Andhra Pradesh as their preferred electoral base.
