Assam Voter Roll Revision Sparks Political Uproar

In Assam, the process of revising electoral rolls has taken a contentious turn, with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma openly stating that only Miyas—Bengali-speaking Muslims—are being served notices, while Hindus and Assamese Muslims are not. This declaration, made on January 24, 2026, has sparked a fresh round of political debate and heightened tensions ahead of the state’s upcoming assembly elections, expected in March-April.

According to a report by PTI, Chief Minister Sarma asserted, “There is no controversy over the special revision. Which Hindu has got notice? Which Assamese Muslim has got notice? Notices have been served to Miyas and such people, else they will walk over our heads.” The term “Miya” is widely considered derogatory and has long been used by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Assam to refer to Bengali-speaking Muslims, a group often labeled as “infiltrators” accused of taking over resources, jobs, and land from indigenous communities.

The current controversy centers on a special revision of Assam’s electoral rolls. On December 27, 2025, the Election Commission identified more than 10 lakh voters whose names could be deleted following a house-to-house verification process. This verification took place between November 22 and December 20, 2025, but—unlike similar processes in other states—did not involve document verification. The final updated voter list is scheduled for publication on February 10, 2026.

Unlike the special intensive revision conducted in 12 other states and Union Territories, Assam’s revision was ordered directly by the Election Commission on November 17, 2025. The state’s chief electoral officer was directed to carry out the process, which has now become a flashpoint between the ruling party and the opposition.

Opposition parties have not taken these developments lightly. Several have accused the BJP of orchestrating a conspiracy to delete the names of genuine voters—particularly those likely to oppose the party—from the electoral rolls. Multiple police complaints have been filed, with accusations ranging from unlawful access to official databases to direct tampering with the voter lists.

On January 23, 2026, the Assam Congress and Akhil Gogoi, leader of the Raijor Dal, lodged separate complaints with the police. In one, Tuleswar Rabha, chief of the Boko Block Congress Committee, alleged that BJP leaders, along with some locals and office staff, entered the election branch of the Boko co-district commissioner’s office after hours. The complaint claimed they attempted to access the electoral roll revision portal using a government password, with the intention of deleting and including names via Form 7—the official application for objecting to the inclusion or requesting the deletion of a name from the electoral roll.

In a parallel complaint filed in Jorhat, Akhil Gogoi reported receiving video footage showing four individuals “unlawfully entering and operating inside the Boko co-district commissioner’s office, Kamrup (Rural), Assam.” He stated that the footage showed the individuals “unauthorisedly accessing” official documents and electronic databases. “As such, there may be every possibility to illegally adding fictitious voters’ names and deleting names of genuine voters, without any lawful authority,” Gogoi, who is also the Sivasagar MLA, said in his complaint.

The opposition’s concerns did not stop there. On January 7, 2026, a coalition of parties—including the Congress, Raijor Dal, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist), and the Assam Jatiya Parishad—filed another police complaint. This time, they accused Assam BJP president and Member of Parliament Dilip Saikia of being involved in a plan to delete the names of “anti-BJP voters” in at least 60 of Assam’s 126 Assembly constituencies. The parties alleged that Saikia had instructed BJP MLAs to ensure the deletion of these voters’ names, further intensifying accusations of targeted disenfranchisement.

Chief Minister Sarma, however, has remained defiant in the face of these allegations. He told PTI, “There is nothing to hide. We are giving them trouble,” referring to his previous statements that Miyas would face difficulties under his administration. Sarma added that serving notices as part of the special revision exercise was a deliberate strategy to “keep them under pressure.” He explained, “They have to understand that at some level, people of Assam are resisting them. Otherwise, they will get a walkover. That is why some will get notices during SR, some for eviction, some from border police.”

In a particularly striking admission, the chief minister remarked, “We will do some utpaat [mischief], but within the ambit of law… we are with the poor and downtrodden, but not those who want to destroy our jati [community].” This statement, while couched in assurances of legality, has only fueled criticism from those who view the process as discriminatory and politically motivated.

The special revision has not involved document verification, a key difference from the intensive revision processes elsewhere. This has led to concerns that the absence of rigorous checks could make the process vulnerable to misuse. The timing of the exercise—just months before the assembly elections—has added to suspicions that the revision is less about electoral hygiene and more about political calculus.

According to the Election Commission, the final voter list will be published on February 10, 2026. With assembly polls looming, the stakes could hardly be higher. The outcome of this revision will likely have a significant impact on the electoral landscape, potentially determining which communities have a voice at the ballot box.

The broader context is one of long-standing tension over identity, migration, and citizenship in Assam. The state has a complex history marked by waves of migration, especially from neighboring Bangladesh, and frequent political battles over who qualifies as an “Assamese.” The National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise in recent years, which sought to identify undocumented immigrants, left millions in limbo and deepened divisions. The current special revision of electoral rolls is widely seen as the latest chapter in this ongoing saga.

As the February 10 deadline for the final list approaches, and with assembly elections on the horizon, Assam’s political climate remains charged. The opposition’s allegations, the chief minister’s unapologetic stance, and the Election Commission’s pivotal role all point to a high-stakes battle over the very foundation of democracy: the right to vote.

With every side digging in, and with the fate of over 10 lakh voters hanging in the balance, Assam’s special revision of electoral rolls has become a litmus test for the state’s commitment to fairness, transparency, and inclusion in its electoral process.