Assam: FIR, voter roll fears and identity politics
GUWAHATI: What began as a routine administrative exercise has turned into one of Assam’s most charged political confrontations in recent years. The ongoing Special Revision (SR) of electoral rolls—a process meant to update voter lists—has now become the centre of a fierce battle between the Congress-led opposition and the ruling BJP, raising anxieties about electoral integrity, identity politics and the right to vote itself.
On Friday, the political temperature spiked after the Congress and a broad alliance of opposition parties filed a joint FIR at Dispur Police Station against Assam BJP president Dilip Saikia. The FIR seeks a criminal investigation into allegations that Saikia, during an internal video conference on January 4, instructed party workers to identify voters who did not support the BJP in 60 Assembly constituencies and to facilitate the deletion of their names from the electoral rolls.
The allegation has struck a nerve because Assam is currently in the middle of the SR process, which directly affects the voting rights of lakhs of citizens. While the draft electoral roll was published on December 27, the final roll is scheduled for February 10, leaving little room for error—or mistrust.
The filing of the FIR saw rare unity across opposition parties, with leaders from the Congress, Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP), Raijor Dal and Left parties standing shoulder to shoulder. Among those present were Congress MP Rakibul Hussain, former MP Ripun Bora, Assam Pradesh Mahila Congress president Mira Borthakur, AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi, Raijor Dal leader Russell Hussain, Kabindra Chetia Phukan, CPI(M) state secretary Suprakash Talukdar and CPI(ML) leader Pankaj Kumar Das.
In the FIR, the opposition demanded that police immediately secure and examine the video footage of the January 4 meeting, warning that any delay could lead to evidence being tampered with. They also called for accountability for anyone involved in what they described as an organised attempt at “vote theft.”
“We had no option left,” said Ripun Bora after filing the FIR. “Despite widespread media coverage, the Election Commission has not taken suo motu action. This is not just politics—this is about the Representation of the People Act and the basic rights of voters. The truth must come out before the people of Assam.”
Earlier in the day, opposition leaders submitted a five-page memorandum to Assam Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Anurag Goel, urging immediate intervention. The memorandum alleged a broader conspiracy to influence voter lists and appealed to the Election Commission, as an independent constitutional authority, to protect the sanctity of the electoral process.
The opposition also flagged alleged irregularities in Bajali, Bhavanipur–Sarbhog, Golakganj and Sribhumi, where Booth Level Officers (BLOs) were allegedly removed or transferred abruptly. They demanded assurances that no political authority—including the Chief Minister or the BJP state president—would influence the SR exercise.
Adding to the pressure, CPI(M) state secretary Suprakash Talukdar alleged a “serious and dangerous conspiracy” to remove Muslim voters from the rolls in Bajali and Bhavanipur–Sarbhog constituencies. He accused Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Ranjit Kumar Dass of orchestrating the move.
Talukdar said the Left has submitted a detailed memorandum to the CEO and urged Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to take action against the minister for what he termed “anti-constitutional and anti-democratic acts.”
Clarifying the process, Talukdar pointed out that the current exercise is a Special Revision (SR), not a Special Intensive Revision (SIR). “SR does not require voters to submit documents. It is conducted through house-to-house verification by BLOs, with political parties participating through Booth Level Agents,” he said, warning against misuse of the process.
The BJP has flatly denied all allegations. Dilip Saikia dismissed the claims as “misleading” and an attempt to “fool the public,” insisting that there was nothing secret or illegal about the January 4 meeting.
“The screenshots being circulated were already shared publicly by our office bearers,” Saikia said. “There was no instruction to delete voters. Akhil Gogoi and others are deliberately misinterpreting routine organisational discussions. These documents have no face value.”
Taking the counter-offensive further, the BJP accused the opposition of playing ‘Miya identity politics’ to polarise voters and derail the revision exercise.
The opposition has not yet issued a collective response to the BJP’s counter-allegations. But the twin controversies—alleged voter list manipulation and identity politics—have sharply deepened Assam’s political divide.
https://indigenousherald.com/
On Friday, the political temperature spiked after the Congress and a broad alliance of opposition parties filed a joint FIR at Dispur Police Station against Assam BJP president Dilip Saikia. The FIR seeks a criminal investigation into allegations that Saikia, during an internal video conference on January 4, instructed party workers to identify voters who did not support the BJP in 60 Assembly constituencies and to facilitate the deletion of their names from the electoral rolls.
The allegation has struck a nerve because Assam is currently in the middle of the SR process, which directly affects the voting rights of lakhs of citizens. While the draft electoral roll was published on December 27, the final roll is scheduled for February 10, leaving little room for error—or mistrust.
The filing of the FIR saw rare unity across opposition parties, with leaders from the Congress, Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP), Raijor Dal and Left parties standing shoulder to shoulder. Among those present were Congress MP Rakibul Hussain, former MP Ripun Bora, Assam Pradesh Mahila Congress president Mira Borthakur, AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi, Raijor Dal leader Russell Hussain, Kabindra Chetia Phukan, CPI(M) state secretary Suprakash Talukdar and CPI(ML) leader Pankaj Kumar Das.
In the FIR, the opposition demanded that police immediately secure and examine the video footage of the January 4 meeting, warning that any delay could lead to evidence being tampered with. They also called for accountability for anyone involved in what they described as an organised attempt at “vote theft.”
“We had no option left,” said Ripun Bora after filing the FIR. “Despite widespread media coverage, the Election Commission has not taken suo motu action. This is not just politics—this is about the Representation of the People Act and the basic rights of voters. The truth must come out before the people of Assam.”
Earlier in the day, opposition leaders submitted a five-page memorandum to Assam Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Anurag Goel, urging immediate intervention. The memorandum alleged a broader conspiracy to influence voter lists and appealed to the Election Commission, as an independent constitutional authority, to protect the sanctity of the electoral process.
The opposition also flagged alleged irregularities in Bajali, Bhavanipur–Sarbhog, Golakganj and Sribhumi, where Booth Level Officers (BLOs) were allegedly removed or transferred abruptly. They demanded assurances that no political authority—including the Chief Minister or the BJP state president—would influence the SR exercise.
Adding to the pressure, CPI(M) state secretary Suprakash Talukdar alleged a “serious and dangerous conspiracy” to remove Muslim voters from the rolls in Bajali and Bhavanipur–Sarbhog constituencies. He accused Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Ranjit Kumar Dass of orchestrating the move.
Talukdar said the Left has submitted a detailed memorandum to the CEO and urged Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to take action against the minister for what he termed “anti-constitutional and anti-democratic acts.”
Clarifying the process, Talukdar pointed out that the current exercise is a Special Revision (SR), not a Special Intensive Revision (SIR). “SR does not require voters to submit documents. It is conducted through house-to-house verification by BLOs, with political parties participating through Booth Level Agents,” he said, warning against misuse of the process.
The BJP has flatly denied all allegations. Dilip Saikia dismissed the claims as “misleading” and an attempt to “fool the public,” insisting that there was nothing secret or illegal about the January 4 meeting.
“The screenshots being circulated were already shared publicly by our office bearers,” Saikia said. “There was no instruction to delete voters. Akhil Gogoi and others are deliberately misinterpreting routine organisational discussions. These documents have no face value.”
Taking the counter-offensive further, the BJP accused the opposition of playing ‘Miya identity politics’ to polarise voters and derail the revision exercise.
The opposition has not yet issued a collective response to the BJP’s counter-allegations. But the twin controversies—alleged voter list manipulation and identity politics—have sharply deepened Assam’s political divide.
https://indigenousherald.com/