Assam LoP flags ‘grave democratic threat’, alleges mass wrongful deletion of voters’ names in Nazira

Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Assembly, Debabrata Saikia, on January 22 raised serious concerns over the alleged wrongful deletion of voters’ names during the summary and special revision of electoral rolls in the Nazira Assembly constituency and sought the intervention of the Election Commission of India (ECI).

In a letter addressed to the Chief Election Commissioner, Saikia claimed that several permanent residents of Nazira have been excluded from the latest electoral rolls, despite having exercised their franchise in previous elections. He alleged that the removal of names has occurred without due process and has disproportionately affected individuals belonging to indigenous communities who have been residing in the area since before Independence.

The Congress leader stated that in multiple instances, village headmen, including gaon pradhans, have certified that the concerned voters are permanent residents and continue to live in their villages. However, despite such official certification, their names were either removed or marked as “questionable” in the revised rolls, he alleged.

Saikia further pointed out inconsistencies during discussions with Booth Level Officers (BLOs), who reportedly failed to provide clear or satisfactory reasons for the deletion of names. He described the situation as raising serious questions about transparency, accountability and adherence to established procedures in the electoral roll revision exercise, particularly in the Nazira constituency.

Highlighting the gravity of the issue, Saikia noted that a significant number of affected voters belong to the Muslim community, along with other indigenous residents who have lived in the area for generations. He warned that the alleged irregularities could indicate discriminatory practices in the preparation and revision of electoral rolls.

The opposition leader also expressed concern over reported cases where voters were declared dead during verification, despite being alive. Such incidents, he said, point to major lapses in the verification mechanism and raise the possibility of misinformation, negligence or serious procedural irregularities at the field level.

Calling for immediate corrective measures, Saikia urged the ECI to order a comprehensive post-verification review in the Nazira Assembly constituency. He stressed the need to identify instances of false reporting, misleading or incorrect data entry, and failures in accountability, and to ensure that the final electoral rolls are examined carefully so that no community or group is disproportionately or selectively targeted.

Saikia also demanded that the supervision and monitoring role of BLOs and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) be strengthened to ensure fairness, transparency and impartiality in future revision exercises. He further requested the ECI to issue remedial directions to ensure that no voter’s name is deleted without following due legal process, including proper notice, a meaningful opportunity to be heard, and a reasoned order passed by a competent authority.

He added that all entries marked as “doubtful”, “absent” or “shifted” should be restored unless a final determination is made after proper verification, underscoring that the right to vote is a fundamental pillar of democracy that must be protected at all costs.