The Congress party has raised concerns over the inclusion of temporary voters from other states in Assam's electoral rolls, accusing manipulation to favor the BJP. They staged a protest in Guwahati on Tuesday. The allegations come amid the ongoing Special Revision of voter lists in the state.
The Congress party in Assam has intensified its 'vote chori' campaign, focusing on what it calls the unauthorized addition of non-Assamese speaking voters to the electoral rolls. On Tuesday, party workers protested in Guwahati, claiming that the process is designed to benefit the ruling BJP by altering voter demographics.
Assam is undergoing a Special Revision of its electoral rolls, distinct from the Special Intensive Revision in other states due to its ongoing National Register of Citizens (NRC) process. Booth Level Officers conducted house-to-house verifications without document checks, leading to the draft roll's release on December 27. The claims and objections period runs until January 22.
In a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia highlighted the enrollment of four non-Assamese individuals from two Guwahati houses without the residents' knowledge. He expressed fears for Assamese identity and culture, stating, “This is something I had raised in the Assembly as well, asking what will happen to the Assamese identity and culture... when with the inclusion of large numbers of non-Assamese speaking people, the decision-making power will slip away.” Saikia also referenced Rahul Gandhi's prior challenges to the Election Commission regarding temporary voters.
A senior election official countered that Indian citizens who have migrated can seek inclusion and that complaints should be filed via Form 7 during the objections process. The official emphasized transparency, noting that all objections are listed on the Chief Electoral Officer's website. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma urged the opposition to use formal procedures rather than media protests.
Separately, Raijor Dal leader Akhil Gogoi accused BJP state chief Dilip Saikia of directing workers to remove non-BJP voters, an allegation Saikia denied.
The revision identified 478,992 deceased electors for deletion, 523,680 who had shifted locations, and 53,619 duplicates. The draft roll lists 25,201,624 electors, a 1.35% increase from the January 2025 final roll.
