Concerns Arise Over Voting Irregularities in Assam Assembly Elections

Voting Issues Highlighted in Assam Elections

Guwahati, April 10: Allegations regarding voting irregularities have emerged prominently during the Assam Assembly elections. Mira Borthakur, the Congress candidate from Dispur, has raised significant concerns about the integrity of the electoral process, claiming that numerous eligible voters were denied their right to vote.

In a live session, Borthakur reported that several voters in her constituency discovered that their votes had already been cast before they arrived at the polling stations. She shared the story of Rupali Borah, who went to vote at the Srimantapur Prathmik Vidyalaya in Guwahati with her daughter.

While the daughter was permitted to vote, the mother was reportedly turned away because her vote had already been recorded.

Borthakur also pointed out procedural lapses, alleging that a presiding officer instructed polling agents to skip proper verification of voter identities.

“Polling officials should serve as impartial public servants, not as representatives of any political party. Voters must be able to cast their votes without any pressure,” she stated, noting that no immediate action was taken despite complaints lodged at the polling station.

A Congress polling agent corroborated these allegations, claiming she was directed to write “BJP Vidhan Sabha” instead of accurately marking voter verification details. When she raised objections, she was reportedly told to continue without adhering to the proper process.

The situation escalated when the daughter of the affected voter approached election officials. She reported that the presiding officer dismissed their concerns, questioning their trust and refusing to address their complaint despite multiple requests.

These allegations from Dispur coincide with similar complaints surfacing from various regions in the state, indicating potential irregularities in the voting process.

Previously, Assam-based content creator Nilakshi R. Sarma highlighted discrepancies in the electoral roll in Guwahati, alleging that several unknown individuals were registered as voters at her address.

In a viral video posted on April 8, she claimed that 12 unfamiliar names had been added to her residence in Ward No. 37.

In response to these claims, the Kamrup (Metro) district administration clarified that many of the names had been included in the electoral roll since 2014, and some individuals had already been traced and verified by Booth Level Officers as long-term residents of the area.

However, Sarma expressed skepticism about this explanation, asserting that she was unaware of several names associated with her address and insisted that the house had never had tenants.

On polling day, numerous voters from various districts reported that their votes had already been cast by unknown individuals. In North Karimganj under Sribhumi district, a senior citizen was reportedly denied the chance to vote after being informed that her vote had already been recorded.

Her son-in-law, Ratnadeep Bhattacharjee, claimed, “There was no proper checking at the polling booth. Someone forged her signature and cast the vote. This is unacceptable.”

Similar allegations arose from Dimow, where a voter named Prashanta reported that a vote had already been cast in his name, and from Dergaon, where another voter, Bhabani Kalita, experienced a similar situation.

In another troubling case, a voter claimed that a female voter's name appeared against his EPIC number, with a vote already recorded.

These incidents have sparked broader concerns regarding voter verification processes and the management of polling day, even as Assam recorded a high voter turnout of over 85.64 percent across 126 constituencies.