The Congress party on Tuesday staged significant protests in Guwahati, levelling serious allegations of irregularities in the recently published draft voter list. The demonstrations, part of the ongoing Special Revision process ahead of the upcoming Assam assembly elections, directly targeted the BJP-led state government and the Election Commission of India.
Allegations of Inclusions and Non-Existent Voters
The core of the protest stems from reports that names of individuals from outside Assam were included in the electoral rolls under the Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers of local families without their knowledge or consent. Leader of the Opposition, Debabrata Saikia, had previously written a formal letter to the Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, on Monday. In his communication, Saikia alleged the deliberate inclusion of non-Assamese or "outside" voters specifically in Guwahati's electoral rolls.
He further raised a grave concern regarding his own Nazira constituency, accusing the registration of voters' names against a completely non-existent household. This was identified where entries were made against a "household no. 00," a clear administrative anomaly. Specific instances cited by the Congress include the inclusion of outsiders as residents on Taiyabulla Road near Dighalipukhuri and the enrolment of more than 30 "non-existent voters" at House No. 595 in Ward No. 22 of Guwahati city.
Election Officials' Response and Escalating Protests
In response to these allegations, election officials acknowledged discrepancies in some house numbers but defended the legitimacy of the voters themselves. They asserted that the individuals in question are genuine voters of Assam and bona fide residents of Guwahati, suggesting possible clerical errors in address documentation rather than fraudulent inclusions.
Undeterred by this explanation, the Guwahati Metropolitan District Committee of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) organized a sit-in demonstration at the Manavendra Sharma Complex in Guwahati. The protest saw a tense standoff with law enforcement. Police barricaded and cordoned off the complex in an attempt to contain the demonstration. However, the protesters eventually broke through the barricades and spilled out onto the main road, amplifying the visibility of their agitation.
Political Implications and Electoral Integrity
This controversy strikes at the heart of electoral integrity, a highly sensitive issue in Assam. The allegations of adding outside voters and fabricating entries on the draft list have ignited a major political row. The Congress party's public demonstration is a clear strategy to apply pressure on the Election Commission to conduct a thorough review and purification of the voter list before the final publication. The situation highlights the heightened political tensions and the critical importance of a transparent electoral roll as the state prepares for the upcoming assembly polls. The onus is now on the election authorities to investigate these claims comprehensively to ensure a free and fair election process.
