Deletion of names from electoral rolls worrying: Assam MLA Rekibuddin Ahmed

With Assembly elections drawing closer, Assam has been rocked by serious allegations of large-scale manipulation of electoral rolls, triggering sharp political reactions and raising concerns over the integrity of the democratic process. Opposition leaders have flagged discrepancies across multiple regions, including Hojai, Barak Valley and Upper Assam, with claims that at least 16,000 voter names are affected—some allegedly declared “dead” despite being alive.

Chhaygaon MLA Rekibuddin Ahmed on Friday, January 23 warned that such irregularities could create unrest in the state if left unchecked. Citing “weird and alarming cases”, Ahmed said several complaints had been lodged against a single individual who, he claimed, was unaware of the allegations against him.

“Incidents like these, especially ahead of elections, are dangerous for democracy. India is a democratic nation and electoral rolls must be prepared strictly under the supervision of the Election Commission of India in a fair and transparent manner. We will not allow unconstitutional and undemocratic activities to succeed,” Ahmed said, cautioning those allegedly involved in such practices.

The controversy intensified after Raijor Dal chief and Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi accused BJP leaders of being caught illegally handling voter list–related work inside the Boko Co-District Commissioner’s office. Gogoi termed the incident a case of “vote theft” and alleged that it amounted to a direct assault on democracy.

In a Facebook post, Gogoi claimed the incident occurred around 8:30 pm on January 22, 2026, when BJP functionaries were allegedly found carrying out election-related activities inside a government office without authorisation. According to him, names of genuine voters were being deleted from the electoral rolls, while efforts were also underway to unlawfully add or block names.

Sharing a video purportedly from the incident, Gogoi alleged that the manipulation was taking place inside a government building, raising serious questions about administrative oversight and the sanctity of the electoral process.

Gogoi claimed that local journalists rushed to the office following a tip-off and found BJP leaders allegedly operating government computers meant for official election work. The video shows several individuals inside the office appearing visibly uncomfortable when confronted by the media.

In the footage, one person reportedly denied being a government employee and avoided answering journalists’ questions, while another individual is seen allegedly minimising a computer screen as soon as media personnel entered the room.

Sources cited by Gogoi identified those present in the video as Prahlad Biswas, General Secretary of South Kamrup Zila and Zila Parishad Council member from Chamariya Block; Mrinmoy Boro, Secretary of South Kamrup District; and Buddheswar Rabha, General Secretary of South Kamrup District ST Morcha.

The Assam BJP, however, rejected the allegations outright, calling them baseless and politically motivated. In a strong rebuttal, the party described Akhil Gogoi as “mentally disturbed” and accused him of using social media as a substitute for constitutional institutions.

The BJP stated that if Gogoi had any genuine grievance, he should approach the Election Commission of India instead of going live on Facebook to “incite the public”. The party also claimed that Gogoi failed to provide concrete evidence to support his allegations and maintained that no such incident had taken place.

Reiterating that electoral roll preparation falls solely under the jurisdiction of the Election Commission, BJP leaders urged Gogoi to submit his complaints formally to the constitutional authority rather than making public accusations.

Meanwhile, the Boko Congress leadership also entered the fray, holding a press conference at Rajiv Bhawan in Boko, where it strongly condemned the alleged involvement of BJP leaders in data entry and deletion work inside the sub-divisional office. The Congress termed the episode a “direct attack on democracy” and demanded strict action against those responsible.