Roll revision row in Assam: Voters find names tagged ‘dead’, EC flags Form 7 misuse
No deletions based only on Form 7, EC says; affected voters served notices, hearings assured
File image
Guwahati, Jan 24: Concerns have surfaced across Assam over the ongoing Special Revision (SR) of electoral rolls after several voters found their names marked as "shifted" or even "dead", prompting the Election Commission (EC) to warn against misuse of Form 7.
In Morigaon district, Faridud Eunush discovered that three out of six voters in his household had been shown as having "shifted" from their address, despite the family continuing to reside in the Mikirbheta circle of the Morigaon Assembly constituency.
“The notice was shocking. Three of us were shown as ‘shifted’ while the rest of the family remained residents at the same address,” Eunush said.
Eunush and his siblings appeared before authorities on January 22, producing documents to establish their residency.
He also alleged that the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) declined to disclose the identity of the complainant, prompting the family to file a Right to Information (RTI) application.
Similar cases have been reported from several districts, with thousands receiving notices based on applications submitted through Form 7, which allows for inclusion or deletion of names from electoral rolls.
Some voters claimed they were marked as "dead" despite appearing in person at hearings.
Under Form 7, voters can seek deletion of their own names on grounds such as permanent relocation, double enrolment or loss of citizenship.
Additionally, any voter in a constituency can request deletion of another person’s name citing reasons including death, being underage, permanent absence, multiple enrolments or non-citizenship.
A state Election Commission official said names are not removed solely on the basis of a Form 7 application. “Concerned individuals are served notices and given adequate opportunity to prove their eligibility,” the official said.
However, the unusually high number of notices this year has raised apprehensions of misuse, especially with Assembly elections due in the coming months.
The EC has found instances where a single complainant allegedly filed multiple deletion requests in the same constituency.
“In some cases, the complainants later stated they had not filed any such applications and that their details were misused,” the official said, citing an instance from Bilasipara Assembly constituency where deletion requests for nine voters were invalidated after the purported complainant denied filing them.
District election officers in Morigaon, Goalpara and Dhubri have issued public notices assuring voters of due process and warning that frivolous or malicious use of Form 7 will attract penal action.
The last date for submitting claims and objections under the SR ended on Thursday, while hearings will continue till February 2.
The final electoral rolls are scheduled to be published on February 10. The draft rolls released in December listed 2,52,01,624 electors, marking a 1.35 per cent increase over the final rolls published in January 2025.
PTI