No voter list published yet, so how can there be ‘vote chori’: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on January 9 rejected the Congress party’s allegation of “vote chori” against the ruling BJP, saying the charge was baseless as the voter list has not yet been published.

Responding to the Assam Congress’s claims, Sarma said there was no question of voter theft at this stage. “When no list has been published so far, then how can there be ‘vote chori’?” he said, dismissing the opposition’s allegations.

The Chief Minister clarified that the BJP state president has merely instructed booth-level agents (BLAs) to ensure that the electoral rolls are accurate by deleting the names of ineligible voters and including those who are eligible. He said such steps are part of the routine and lawful process of electoral roll revision.

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Sarma asserted that maintaining a clean and accurate voter list is essential for free and fair elections and should not be politicised. He added that the Election Commission follows a transparent and well-defined procedure for updating electoral rolls, and political parties only play a facilitative role through their booth-level agents.

The Assam Congress had earlier accused the BJP of attempting to manipulate voter lists, an allegation the Chief Minister described as misleading and intended to create unnecessary confusion ahead of the electoral process.