Assam Opposition alleges anomalies, interference in electoral roll revision

OPposition parties in poll-bound Assam feature alleged 144 anomalies, wrongful interference, and arbitrary volume notices as component of the special revision (SR) of the electoral roll and urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to act.SR was held in the state due to the incomplete revision of the National Register of Citizens, unlike the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in other states.Congress, Raijor Dal, Assam Jatiya Parishad, and Communist Party of India (Marxist), which are planning to contest the polls together against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led coalition, on Sunday submitted a memorandum to the chief electoral officer (CEO) seeking “immediate intervention and action” to ensure the SR is “free and fair”. They urged that the names of genuine voters should not be excluded from the final electoral roll.The memorandum, a copy of which HT has seen, said large numbers of fake objections were filed without the knowledge of those who supposedly filed them.The memorandum said that several “objectors” in such fake objections have declared that they have no knowledge about the filing of the objections, and that their electoral photo identity cards and mobile numbers were misused for the objections. It added notices have been issued to the genuine voters in violation, particularly of Rule 17 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. “...the Booth Level Officers (BLOs), on the instructions of the Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), are also making suo moto deletion of names of genuine voters, which is not at all permissible...” It added many BLOs have said they have either been coerced or their signatures have been taken under false pretenses.The memorandum said many genuine voters have been prevented from submitting their applications after shifting residences to remove them from the final electoral roll.“It is beyond belief that the large numbers of genuine voters have died and shifted during the period from December 27, when the draft electoral roll was published, to January 22, the deadline to file claims and objections.”The memorandum cited “unlawful and illegal interference” in the SR in South Kamrup, where videos, which went viral on social media, showed three office bearers of the BJP allegedly instructing and influencing the officials to issue bulk notices.The memorandum cited chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s statement, indicating that Bengali-speaking Muslims would be subjected to harassment during the SR process and would be deliberately issued notices.“Such a statement is arbitrary, mala fide, and wholly unconstitutional, as it betrays a predetermined intent to target a specific community and undermines the neutrality of the electoral process.”The memorandum urged the ECI to direct the officials to summarily reject the bulk objections without calling the persons for a hearing and without harassing them. It sought action against the objectors who have filed the illegal and unlawful bulk objections. The memorandum said a reasonable time should be given for hearings in case of any genuine objection filed.Assam Congress chief Gaurav Gogoi accused the BJP of trying to manipulate the voters’ list during the SR process to retain power.Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) chief Lurinjyoti Gogoi echoed him and said the BJP has decided to rob genuine indigenous people by mass deletions from the voter list. “They are trying to remove the names of voters who do not support the BJP by filing mass objections and bulk notices.”The ECI published the draft electoral roll on December 27, with 25.11 million electors, following door-to-door verification. As many as 478,992 electors were found dead, 523,680 had shifted residences, and 53,619 had multiple entries. The deadline for claims and objections ended on January 22. They will be disposed of by February 2, and the final rolls will be published on February 10. Elections are due in March-April.