30–40 lakh names likely to be deleted in Assam ahead of 2026 polls: Sushmita Dev

Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev has launched a sharp attack on the BJP-led NDA government and the Election Commission of India (ECI), alleging that the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar is unconstitutional and being used as a political weapon. 

She warned that a similar exercise is likely to be conducted in Assam ahead of next year’s state elections, which could see the deletion of 30 to 40 lakh names from the voter list.

Addressing a press conference on Saturday, Dev accused the Election Commission of overstepping its mandate by determining citizenship through the SIR process. “The Election Commission cannot question my citizenship. That power lies with the Ministry of Home Affairs,” she asserted.

Dev further claimed that the exercise being carried out in Bihar—where, according to her, 65 lakh names are being struck off—is a precursor to similar revisions across other Indian states, including Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala. “This is not just limited to Bihar. The EC will replicate this everywhere,” she warned, adding that the opposition is repeatedly raising the issue in Parliament, but the government is blocking debate.

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Linking the alleged voter list deletions to political strategy, Dev accused the BJP of attempting to purge the rolls because it is “losing support.” “They know their ground is slipping in Assam. That’s why they’re resorting to these tactics,” she said, cautioning people to “be careful of the BJP.”

Dev also criticised the recent nationwide crackdown on ‘illegal Bangladeshis’, claiming that it is being carried out selectively, based on language, and disproportionately targets Bengali-speaking people. “Only Bengali speakers are being marked as suspects,” she said, defending West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee’s stance that while documents must be verified, genuine citizens must not be harassed.

On eviction drives in Assam, the former Lok Sabha MP from Assam raised serious concerns. “If the chief minister says encroachers are Bangladeshis, where have those evicted people gone? These are just election gimmicks,” she alleged.

Calling for united opposition to defeat the BJP in Assam, Dev urged the Congress to take the lead in forming a collective front for the 2026 assembly polls. “Opposition unity is the need of the hour to stop these divisive tactics,” she concluded.