Over 10.56 lakh names deleted as EC publishes Assam draft electoral rolls ahead of polls

The Election Commission on December 27 released Assam’s integrated draft electoral rolls following a Special Revision exercise, revealing that the names of 10.56 lakh voters have been deleted ahead of the Assembly elections due in less than six months.

According to the draft rolls, Assam now has a total of 2,51,09,754 voters, excluding 93,021 ‘D-Voters’ or doubtful voters. The deletions were made on grounds of death, change of residence, and multiple or demographically similar entries identified during verification.

Of the deleted names, 4,78,992 voters were removed due to death, 5,23,680 were found to have shifted from their registered addresses, while 53,619 entries were flagged for correction owing to demographic similarities.

The Special Revision was conducted through house-to-house verification between November 22 and December 20, covering 61,03,103 households across the state. The massive exercise involved 35 District Election Officers, 126 Electoral Registration Officers, 1,260 Assistant EROs, 29,656 Booth Level Officers, and 2,578 BLO Supervisors. Political parties also deployed 61,533 Booth Level Agents to monitor and assist the process.

The Election Commission clarified that all details of D-Voters, including name, age, and photograph, have been carried forward unchanged in the draft rolls. D-Voters in Assam are disenfranchised individuals identified by Foreigners’ Tribunals under the Foreigners Act, 1946, and are not issued voter identity cards.

Voters can file claims and objections to the draft rolls until January 22, while the final electoral rolls will be published on February 10.

The Special Revision in Assam was ordered even as a Special Intensive Revision is underway in 12 states and Union Territories, including Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal, which are also scheduled to go to polls alongside Assam.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has earlier noted that citizenship-related provisions in Assam are distinct under the Citizenship Act and that the verification process is being carried out under the supervision of the Supreme Court. Officials said the Special Revision falls between the annual summary revision and a full Special Intensive Revision.

The Election Commission stated that the exercise aims to ensure an error-free electoral roll by enrolling eligible voters, correcting clerical errors, removing names of deceased or shifted electors, and eliminating duplicate entries. Assam currently has 31,486 polling stations following nationalisation.