7 months ago
Assam Protests Over Electoral Roll Irregularities
In Assam, people are protesting because they believe there are problems with the way the voter list is being updated.
Some people received notices saying they are no longer on the list, even though they are alive and well.
The All Assam Minority Students' Union (AAMSU) and Congress leader Debabrata Saikia say that the officials are not being fair and are leaving out people who should be on the list, especially from the Muslim community and other indigenous groups.
The AAMSU leaders are very upset and have warned that they might take legal action if the issues are not fixed.
They also submitted complaints to the local government asking them to make sure the process is fair.
The local government says they are following the rules, but the AAMSU and Congress say they will protest more if their concerns are not addressed.
The government has temporarily stopped some hearings to check the complaints and has warned people not to file false objections.
AAMSU organized a sit-in protest in Dhubri over alleged irregularities in the electoral roll revision process.
Congress leader Debabrata Saikia wrote to the Chief Election Commissioner expressing concern over wrongful deletion of voters’ names in Nazira constituency.
Both AAMSU and Congress allege that legitimate voters, including members of the Muslim community and indigenous residents, are being excluded and subjected to undue scrutiny.
AAMSU leaders accused the administration of bias and failing to address grievances at the field level, warning of legal action against Booth Level Officers and election officials.
A memorandum was submitted to the District Commissioner and the Chief Election Commissioner demanding a fair and transparent revision process and restoration of wrongly deleted names.
- Who
- All Assam Minority Students' Union (AAMSU), Congress leader Debabrata Saikia, Assam district administrations, and affected voters
- What
- Protests and concerns over alleged irregularities in the electoral roll revision process, including wrongful deletion and objection of voters’ names
- Where
- Dhubri, Nazira, Nagaon, Barhampur, Raha, and Lakhimpur, Assam
- When
- January 22 and ongoing
- Why
- AAMSU and Congress allege exclusion of legitimate voters, bias, and lack of transparency in the revision process
Key facts
- Organization
- All Assam Minority Students' Union (AAMSU), Congress leader Debabrata Saikia, and Assam district administrations
- Location
- Dhubri, Nazira, Nagaon, Barhampur, Raha, and Lakhimpur, Assam
- Issue
- Alleged wrongful deletion and objection of voters’ names during electoral roll revision
- Action Taken
- Sit-in demonstrations, memorandum submissions, letters to the Chief Election Commissioner, and public notices halting hearings
- Demands
- Fair and transparent revision process, action against biased officials, and restoration of wrongly deleted names
- Warning
- Legal action against BLOs and election officials if harassment and irregularities continue
- Administration's Stance
- Revision process follows Election Commission guidelines, with warnings against false objections
- Key Figures
- Hafizuddin Ahmed, Javed Akhtar, Abdul Salam, Bishal Roy, Imtiaz Hussain, Devashish Sharma, Debabrata Saikia, Aminul Islam
Timeline
Assam's voter report deadline passed, sparking protest.
Then, AAMSU and Congress joined, decrying electoral roll flaws.
They threaten legal action if issues remain unaddressed.
Protest intensifies, pressure mounts on Assam officials.
Quotes
Debabrata Saikia
Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly and a member of the Congress party
“to identify instances of false, misleading, or incorrect reporting, including falsely recorded ‘death’ cases, and to fix accountability wherever lapses, negligence, misconduct, or procedural irregularities are found”
indianexpress.com
“to ensure that no particular community or social group has been disproportionately, selectively, or indirectly targeted during the electoral roll revision process”
indianexpress.com
Devashish Sharma
Nagaon District Commissioner and District Election Officer
“The District Administration is conscious of prevailing public concerns and remains fully committed to maintaining transparency, fairness and public confidence in all electoral and administrative processes… It is reiterated that no eligible voter shall be excluded or left behind, and all lawful claims and objections shall be addressed as per the prescribed procedure”
indianexpress.com
“The election commission allows for anyone to file objections, and we have to verify them. There may be agents of political parties, but in many cases, it could also be overzealous individuals and those trying to settle personal scores. The verification of the objections is happening, and we have issued a warning that those raising false objections will be punished”
indianexpress.com
indianexpress.com
Hafizuddin Ahmed
Retired government employee and resident of Nagaon town, Assam
“I showed them the voter ID card, and since I was an employee with the Public Health & Engineering Department, I was familiar with the officials there. They checked my documents and said it would be okay”
indianexpress.com
Abdul Salam
77-year-old retired professor of Dhing College
“Since we were out of station, we asked our son to go for the hearing, but he was told that we should present ourselves there before the claims and objections process ends. So we will be reaching Nagaon on Thursday and will visit the office”
indianexpress.com
Nuruddin Ahmed
Booth Level Officer (BLO) in Nagaon-Batadraba constituency
“As a BLO, I do not know who this individual is. He is not among the Booth Level Agents (BLAs) of any of the political parties who have been working on the ground with me. I have only received a list from the election branch which tells us the names of the people against whom objections have been filed, and the complainer’s name”
indianexpress.com
Imtiaz Hussain
President of the All Assam Minority Students’ Union
“The Nagaon order is an admission that there are flaws in the process. We are submitting memoranda on this across all districts expressing our concerns”
indianexpress.com
An official with the office of the Chief Election Office
Official with the office of the Chief Election Office
“Because of such concerns about fraudulent complaints, seven Electoral Roll Observers who are senior IAS officers are in the field talking to local representatives of all political parties at the district level to understand ground realities and to oversee that all processes are being conducted as they should be. There are seven such Electoral Roll Officers, who have been allotted five districts each”
indianexpress.com
Aminul Islam
AIUDF MLA
“The large-scale objections, and large numbers of objections being filed by third parties against multiple people, show that there is an attempt to whimsically cut down the number of voters, particularly non-BJP voters, by the time of the elections”
indianexpress.com
Sources
EC Defends Bihar Electoral Roll Revision in SC
Assam opposition leader raises concern over ‘wrongful’ deletion of voters’ names
AAMSU protests in Dhubri over alleged irregularities in electoral roll revision
‘I’m not dead’: One person filed objections against 64 voters from same Assam booth, many tell Express they are alive and well
Oppn red flag in Assam over Special Revision: ‘Bid to exclude legit voters from electoral process’
In Assam, ‘forged’ forms aimed at deleting thousands of Muslim voters ring alarm bells
Congress alleges ‘vote theft’ bid through e-KYC in Assam electoral roll revision
