Oppn flags voter roll lapses, claims ‘secret directive’ on non-Assamese additions

Guwahati, Jan 4: Amid preparations for the upcoming Assam Assembly elections, Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Debabrata Saikia, on Sunday, alleged large-scale irregularities in the electoral rolls.

Addressing the press, Saikia accused the BJP of planning to add “5,000 to 10,000 names” at the last moment in each constituency to influence the polls.

He claimed that a “secret directive” had been issued to include non-Assamese voters in the electoral rolls to help the ruling party retain power.

“A secret order has come from the BJP to add at least 5,000 to 10,000 names at the last moment through non-Assamese voters so that the BJP, which does not follow the Constitution, can rule for five more years,” Saikia alleged.

He further claimed that voter names had been added without the knowledge of residents in certain areas.

“At Tayabulla Road in Guwahati, House No. 44 and House No. 15 have names of unknown individuals. In one house alone, four names of people from Bihar have been included. This clearly shows how the BJP is attempting to manipulate Assam’s political landscape,” he said.

Saikia also accused the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), an ally of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), of supporting what he described as a “conspiracy” against Assam, and urged citizens to remain vigilant.

Echoing similar concerns, senior Congress leader Ripun Bora alleged that the BJP was indulging in “organised vote theft” across the country.

“Vote chori is being done systematically in a way that people do not notice. Rahul Gandhi has exposed these tactics, and now the BJP is trying the same in Assam. People must stay alert,” Bora said.

The allegations have added to the charged political atmosphere ahead of the Assembly elections.

Calling on regional political parties to unite, Raijor Dal chief Akhil Gogoi urged them to raise their voices against what he described as a major electoral scam.

“Under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, after a BJP MLA meeting, party legislators were sent back to their respective constituencies with instructions to add around 10,000 votes each; votes that may not even belong to the constituencies concerned. This is a very serious issue and could undermine the Constitution of India,” Gogoi alleged.

Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Sarma, while speaking to the press on the sidelines of a welfare scheme seed capital distribution event, addressed issue, saying people who have claims and objections in the electoral draft can register them before January 22.

“Since, there is provision for public to express concerns in a democratic nation, I would request people to register their claims to election commission,” he said.