AAMSU Urges Election Commission to Include NRC Names in Final Electoral Rolls for Assam Voters

The All Assam Minority Students Union has urged the Election Commission to include names from the NRC in the final electoral rolls, stressing that voters excluded from the NRC should not be removed until all legal options are exhausted.

The All Assam Minority Students Union (AAMSU) has requested the Election Commission (EC) to ensure that individuals listed in the National Register of Citizens (NRC) are included in the final voters list. They also urged that those excluded from the NRC should remain on the electoral rolls until they have exhausted all legal options. The NRC, published in 2019, excluded 19,06,657 people but lacks official status as it hasn't been notified by the Registrar General of India.

AAMSU highlighted that Assam is unique in conducting the NRC exercise. If those included in the NRC are not on the final electoral rolls, it undermines the purpose of the exercise. The memorandum submitted to the EC was signed by AAMSU president Imtiaz Hussan and general secretary Minnatul Islam. They pointed out anomalies and discrepancies in the ongoing Special Revision (SR) of electoral rolls, urging the EC to address these issues.

Electoral Roll Concerns

The AAMSU leaders expressed concerns about remarks made by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and ruling party leaders regarding name deletions from electoral rolls for those evicted from land. They argued such actions are not permissible under law. Additionally, they claimed some officials are preventing genuine applicants, especially land eviction victims, from submitting Form 8 for electoral roll modifications like residence changes.

The students' body called for EC intervention to prevent interference by political leaders in the Special Revision process through public statements or activities. They sought directives for officials to reject bulk objections without hearings or harassment. Ensuring a free and fair Special Revision of electoral rolls in Assam was emphasized by AAMSU leaders.

Special Revision Process

The Special Revision of Assam's draft electoral rolls is part of preparations for the 2026 assembly polls. It recorded a total electorate of 2,51,09,754, excluding doubtful voters. During this revision, 10,56,291 names were deleted due to reasons like deaths, location changes, and duplicate entries. The SR aims to create an error-free electoral roll by enrolling eligible unregistered voters and correcting clerical errors such as name, age, and address.

After publishing the Integrated Draft Roll on December 27, claims and objections began being filed. The final voters list is scheduled for release on February 10. This process involves removing deceased persons' names, shifting electors' details, and identifying and deleting multiple entries where a single voter is registered in more than one polling station or constituency.

With inputs from PTI