AIUDF protests alleged voter roll lapses in Dhubri, submits memo

Dhubri, Jan 29: The Dhubri unit of the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), on Thursday, staged a protest rally and submitted a detailed memorandum to the District Commissioner, flagging alleged anomalies, procedural lapses, and violations in the ongoing Special Revision (SR) of electoral rolls.

The rally, which began at the AIUDF’s Dhubri district office, culminated at the District Commissioner’s office, drawing the participation of hundreds of party members, supporters, and elected representatives.

AIUDF legislators from the district, Nizanur Rahman and Nazrul Hoque, were among those who took part, carrying placards and raising slogans against the government.

Party leaders said the protest was aimed at drawing urgent administrative attention to what they described as systematic irregularities in the electoral revision process, which they alleged were adversely affecting genuine voters, particularly marginalised and displaced communities.

“Today, we have come out to protest against the targeting of one community in the name of the Special Revision and the harassment of people. We are submitting a memorandum to the District Commissioner and demanding that this process be stopped,” said Dhubri MLA Nazrul Hoque.

In the memorandum, the AIUDF listed multiple grievances related to the ongoing revision exercise.

One of the key concerns raised was the failure to mention specific grounds of objection in Form 14 notices issued by Electoral Registration Officers.

The party claimed this violated the principles of natural justice by denying voters a fair opportunity to respond.

The memorandum also alleged deviations from the Manual on Electoral Rolls, 2023, particularly provisions that discourage the acceptance of bulk claims or objections except under limited and clearly defined circumstances.

Senior AIUDF member and advocate Jamsher Talukdar highlighted the hardships faced by voters due to the late service of notices, which, he said, were sometimes delivered on the day of the hearing or just a day before.

“This makes it practically impossible for individuals to arrange documents, witnesses, or even travel to the hearing venues,” Talukdar said.

He further pointed to difficulties in transferring votes through Form 8 and complications arising from simultaneous deletion processes, which the party claimed were contributing to voter exclusion.

Talukdar also questioned the timing of the Special Revision.

“In the year an election is to be held, a Special Revision cannot be conducted. As per the Constitution, it should be done a year prior. Without proper awareness, the process is going on. We are protesting against this and will move the Supreme Court. We are Indians and have been casting our votes for years, but now our names are being deleted,” he said.

The AIUDF urged the authorities to prevent acceptance of large-scale objections filed by single individuals, ensure strict compliance with the Manual on Electoral Rolls, 2023, clearly specify grounds of objection in all notices.