Assam Congress Sounds Red Alert on Special Revision, Points to Possible Voter Cuts

The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) has raised strong objections and expressed "deep suspicion" over the Election Commission of India's (ECI) decision to conduct a 'Special Revision' (SR) of electoral rolls in the state, just months before the anticipated 2026 Assembly elections.

Following a meeting with the state's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) regarding the Special Revision process, senior Congress leaders—Dhubri Lok Sabha MP Rakibul Hussain and former Rajya Sabha MP Ripun Bora—addressed a press conference on Tuesday, urging all political parties and the public to minutely monitor the process.

Timing and Intent Questioned

Former MP Ripon Bora highlighted that the ECI is conducting an SR instead of the Special Summary Revision (SSR), a move he views as suspicious, particularly given the timing.

"Summary Revision is a regular process, but Special Revision is distinct. Given that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar resulted in the removal of nearly 69 lakh voters, we cannot rule out a similar attempt to arbitrarily delete names through this SR process in Assam," Bora stated.

He further noted the timing of the exercise, questioning the need for an intensive revision eight months after the Lok Sabha polls, suggesting a "special reason" might be behind conducting the SR so close to the state elections.

Contradictions in BLA Guidelines

Bora’s strongest concern centered on the conflicting roles assigned to Booth Level Agents (BLAs) nominated by political parties.

"The ECI guidelines state that party BLAs should cooperate with government Booth Level Officers (BLOs) from start to finish. However, the appointment letters limit the party agents’ duty to only the period between the draft publication (December 27) and the final date for filing claims and objections," Bora said.

He alleged that by limiting the BLA's role to only 13-14 days—and excluding them from the crucial initial door-to-door (H2H) verification period (scheduled from November 22 to December 20)—the ECI is isolating political parties from the core revision work, which is where mass deletion or manipulation could occur.

"If the Commission fails to rectify this self-contradictory policy regarding BLAs and keeps them away from the principal work, the Congress will be forced to conclude that a conspiracy is being orchestrated to delete eligible voters' names to benefit the ruling dispensation," he warned.

Fear of External Voter Inclusion and Rushed Process

MP Rakibul Hussain backed the demand for strict public oversight, voicing concern that the state might be vulnerable to the inclusion of ineligible external voters.

"It will not be easy to bring people by train from states like Bihar and Haryana and include them in the voter list, as the language barrier will help the public detect them easily. But the people of Assam must remain vigilant," Hussain stressed. He also pointed out that the entire process appears rushed and is being conducted without adequate training for the BLOs.

ECI’s Rationale for Special Revision

The ECI has clarified that the SR process ordered for Assam is different from the SIR conducted in states like Bihar. ECI officials have stated that the SIR was avoided in Assam due to the state's unique citizenship criteria under the Citizenship Act and the pending status of the National Register of Citizens (NRC). 

The SR will involve a mandatory house-to-house verification by BLOs using pre-filled registers to check existing voters, focusing on removing multiple, dead, or permanently shifted entries, and enrolling newly eligible citizens (those turning 18 by January 1, 2026). The draft electoral roll is set to be published on December 27, with the final roll due on February 10, 2026.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has publicly welcomed the ECI's decision, assuring full cooperation from the state government to complete the revision in a transparent and time-bound manner.

BJP Welcomes Special Electoral Roll Revision in Assam, Assures Full Cooperation

Meanwhile, the Assam unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday has welcomed the ECI’s decision to conduct a special revision of the state’s electoral roll, using 1 January 2026 as the qualifying date.

State BJP President and Darrang–Udalguri MP Dilip Saikia said the party would extend “full and complete cooperation” to the revision process. He asserted that a clean and error-free voter list would strengthen the electoral system and reinforce the foundations of democracy.

Saikia was speaking during a meeting convened today by the Assam State Election Commission to brief political parties on the revision exercise.

Several senior leaders of the BJP, Assam Pradesh, attended the meeting, including former State President and East Guwahati MLA Siddhartha Bhattacharya, Vice-President Manoj Baruah, Chief Spokesperson Kishore Upadhyay, and BJP Election Management Cell Convenor Dhruvajyoti Dauka.

Saikia expressed confidence that the Election Commission would conduct the special revision in a transparent and time-bound manner. He also urged all political parties and national organisations in Assam to cooperate with the State Election Commission to ensure the smooth completion of the process.

Also Read: Assam Gets Special Revision, Not Intensive Revision Like 12 Other States