Over 10 lakh voters removed in Assam SIR ahead of assembly polls

Guwahati: Assam’s draft electoral rolls, released by the Election Commission on Saturday, show the deletion of 10.56 lakh voter names following the Special Revision ahead of upcoming assembly elections. The state now has a total of 2,51,09,754 registered voters, excluding 93,021 D-Voters, who are classified as doubtful voters due to citizenship concerns.

The deletions were carried out for various reasons: 4,78,992 voters had passed away, 5,23,680 had shifted from their registered addresses, and 53,619 entries were identified for correction due to duplication or demographic similarity. The Special Revision exercise, conducted from 22 November to 20 December, involved house-to-house verification across 61,03,103 households and engagement of 35 District Election Officers, 126 Electoral Registration Officers, 1,260 AEROs, 29,656 Booth Level Officers, and 2,578 BLO Supervisors. Political parties deployed 61,533 Booth Level Agents to monitor and assist the process.

D-Voters, whose citizenship remains under scrutiny by special tribunals under the Foreigners Act, 1946, have had their details carried forward without change. Voters can file claims or objections until 22 January, with the final electoral rolls scheduled for publication on 10 February. The state now has 31,486 polling stations following rationalisation.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar highlighted that the Special Revision, conducted under Supreme Court supervision, aims to prepare an accurate and error-free electoral roll by including eligible unregistered voters, correcting clerical mistakes, and removing ineligible entries.

The Special Revision in Assam is positioned between the annual Special Summary Revision and the broader Special Intensive Revision (SIR) ongoing in 12 states and Union Territories, including Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal. It seeks to facilitate accurate enrolment, correct errors in names, ages, and addresses, and ensure no deceased or shifted voters remain on the rolls.

The exercise reflects a meticulous approach to updating electoral data ahead of elections, ensuring transparency and accuracy in voter registration. The extensive deployment of election officials and political party representatives underlines the scale of the operation and the importance of public participation in maintaining credible electoral rolls.