Himanta claims ‘Bangladeshi Miya’ presence in Assam, says BJP filed 5 lakh complaints during SR

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on January 28 asserted that “Bangladeshi Miyas” are living in the state and said the BJP has filed nearly five lakh complaints against them during the ongoing Special Revision (SR) of electoral rolls, describing the exercise as a national responsibility.

Speaking to reporters at the sidelines of an official function in Sivasagar, Sarma said the “unknown people” who were not earlier present in Assam are now living in several Upper Assam districts. He claimed that if individuals who have recently entered Assam receive notices during the SR process, it would indicate their status as foreigners.

The chief minister said the term “Miya”, which he described as earlier being a pejorative term used for Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam, is now being openly adopted by members of the community, including activists, as a mark of defiance. He alleged that such assertions were being made by “doubtful” individuals and said the Election Commission would examine the complaints filed during the SR process.

Sarma maintained that identifying foreigners during the SR exercise is not only the BJP’s responsibility but that of every political party. He accused opposition parties of failing to file complaints and instead trying to project that there are no Bangladeshi nationals in Assam. “The BJP is against foreigners, and it works accordingly,” he said, adding that his party’s workers have lodged complaints because they believe foreigners are present in the state.

Citing official data, Sarma said Assam has registered a 1.35 per cent increase in voters as per the integrated draft electoral roll published on December 30, following the Special Revision. He further claimed that “Bangladeshi Miyas” have entered different districts of Upper Assam in recent years, including Duliajan, Sarupathar and Golaghat, and alleged that such individuals are buying more land in places like Tinsukia district.

Referring to past perceptions, Sarma said that Tinsukia was once believed to be inhabited largely by Hindi and Bengali-speaking people, but claimed that the number of “unknown Bangladeshi Miyas” has now increased significantly. “So, no place is safe in Assam,” he added.

According to the chief minister, the draft roll after the SR reflected a total of 2,52,01,624 electors, with 78,684 additions and 4,47,196 deletions recorded between January 6 and December 27. During the SR process, 4,78,992 deceased electors and 5,23,680 shifted electors were identified, while 53,619 multiple entries were detected.

He said the Election Commission, however, has not removed or shifted these names yet, as the process of removal or shifting can only be carried out after formal applications are received during the claims and objections period. Claims and objections can be filed from December 27 to January 22, with special campaign dates fixed for January 3–4 and January 10–11. Sarma added that the final electoral roll will be published on February 10, 2026.