Guwahati: Assam Pradesh Mahila Congress (APMC) president Meera Borthakur on Thursday alleged that the Election Commission of India (ECI), acting under the influence of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is attempting to remove the names of indigenous people from electoral rolls across Assam in a bid to retain power in Dispur for a third consecutive term.
Addressing a press conference at Rajiv Bhawan, Borthakur claimed that between 6,000 and 7,000 voters’ names are being targeted for deletion in each constituency under the pretext of re-KYCverification processes.
She warned that such actions pose a serious threat to democracy and called for a statewide movement to raise awareness against what she described as an “anti-democratic plan” by the BJP and the ECI.
“I am a resident of the Dispur constituency, and I am witnessing how the Election Commission and the BJP are trying to remove genuine voters from the electoral rolls,” Borthakur said.
She alleged that residents of areas such as Hatigaon, Hijubari, Dakshin Gaon and Ghoramora are being harassed in the name of e-KYC verification and updates through fair price shop (FPS) owners, even though the shop owners are not authorised to carry out such verification.
According to Borthakur, FPS owners are being pressured to delete names from ration card lists, which are then allegedly used as grounds for removing the same individuals from the voter list.
She cited cases involving individuals such as Bhuban Deka, Azad Ali, Dimbeswar Rajbongshi and Bishnu Barman, claiming there is a deliberate conspiracy to disenfranchise them.
“We repeatedly asked the ECI to give people sufficient time if there were objections against their inclusion in the voter list. Instead, notices were issued overnight, leading to harassment. This is nothing but an attempt to murder democracy in Assam,” she said.
The Mahila Congress leader further accused the ECI of functioning as a “morcha” of the BJP.
“No matter how many complaints are filed, the ECI does not dare to act independently, beyond the influence of the BJP,” she alleged.
Referring to earlier warnings by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Borthakur said a “Bihar model” was now being implemented in Assam.
“People may not have understood it earlier, but today the reality is before us. This is why we are calling for a mass movement across the state,” she said.
Borthakur claimed that voter deletions are being concentrated in areas where the Congress had secured more votes than the BJP in previous elections.
“They know they cannot win through a fair and democratic process. That is why they are resorting to voter suppression in the name of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’,” she remarked.
She also questioned the ECI’s silence on several issues, including the alleged direction by Assam BJP president Dilip Saikia to party MLAs during a virtual meeting to remove at least 10,000 voters from each constituency.
“Why has the ECI not taken suo motu cognisance of this?” she asked.
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Highlighting administrative inconsistencies, Borthakur pointed out that nearly 18 lakh cases are still pending disposal.
“On one hand, people are evicted, and on the other, they are asked to apply for address changes. When they do so, their applications are rejected,” she said.
She added that several booth-level officers (BLOs) have also opposed the process, alleging that outsiders are being brought into the state and, from hotel rooms, attempts are being made to add their names to Assam’s voter list.
Appealing to the public, Borthakur urged “all democracy-loving people of Assam” to resist what she termed an attempt at “vote theft” by the BJP and the ECI.
“First ration cards, then voter lists—this is a dangerous pattern. If not stopped now, it will irreparably damage the democratic fabric of Assam,” she warned.
