Assam’s Leader of the Opposition, Debabrata Saikia, has expressed alarm over what he calls a serious threat to democratic values. He alleges that a significant number of voters’ names were wrongly removed during the revision of electoral rolls in the Nazira Assembly constituency. Saikia has urged the Election Commission of India to intervene urgently, citing the exclusion of long-standing residents from the updated rolls.
Saikia claims that the deletions were conducted without following proper legal procedures. He points out that many affected individuals are from indigenous communities with deep roots in the constituency, some tracing back to pre-Independence times. Despite official certifications from village authorities confirming their residency, their names were either deleted or flagged as questionable, according to Saikia.
The Opposition leader has raised concerns about procedural irregularities, citing a lack of clarity and consistency in the interactions with Booth Level Officers (BLOs). Saikia alleges that BLOs failed to provide satisfactory explanations for the deletions, casting doubts on the transparency and adherence to norms during the roll revision process in Nazira.
Saikia has also highlighted instances where voters were mistakenly declared deceased during field verification despite being alive. He calls for immediate corrective actions, including a thorough review of the electoral rolls in Nazira to address false reporting, data entry errors, and accountability lapses. Saikia emphasizes the need for fair treatment of all voters and stronger oversight of electoral officers to uphold the integrity of the electoral process.
