Congress Leaders Released on Bail Amid Electoral Roll Dispute in North Lakhimpur

In North Lakhimpur, two Congress leaders were arrested following a dispute regarding the Special Revision of electoral rolls for the upcoming assembly elections. Hem Chandra Baruah and Dilwar Hussain faced allegations from the BJP of obstructing government officials during their duties. The situation escalated during a door-to-door verification process, leading to their detention. After being granted bail, the leaders claimed the accusations were false and lodged a complaint against the Booth Level Officer involved. The incident has drawn condemnation from the local Congress committee, highlighting tensions surrounding the electoral process.

By Narendra Chaudhary Dec 6, 2025, 11:50 IST

Bail Granted to Congress Leaders

North Lakhimpur, Dec 6: Two leaders from the Congress party in North Lakhimpur have been granted bail following a conflict related to the Special Revision (SR) of electoral rolls for the upcoming 2026 assembly elections.

Hem Chandra Baruah and Dilwar Hussain, who serve as the president and secretary of the Town Block Congress in North Lakhimpur, were taken into custody by law enforcement on December 3. This action followed allegations from the local BJP unit, claiming that the Congress leaders obstructed government officials while they were performing their duties.

As per sources within the Congress, the conflict arose during the SR process when a Booth Level Officer (BLO) conducted door-to-door verification in Ward No. 14 (C) of the East Chanmari area. It was reported that BLO Krishnashree Bora removed the name of Jahangir Alam from the electoral roll, collaborating with Booth Level Assistant (BLA) Udita Das. Since BLAs are appointed by political parties and Udita Das is affiliated with the ruling BJP, Jahangir Alam contacted Hem Chandra Baruah, who then visited the household with Dilwar Hussain to investigate the situation. This led to a confrontation between Baruah and BLA Udita Das.

A group of BJP supporters later arrived at the scene and filed a complaint against the Congress leaders at the North Lakhimpur Sadar Police Station, accusing them of hindering a government official's duties.

The police subsequently arrested Hem Chandra Baruah and Dilwar Hussain under Case No. 410/25, detaining them overnight before presenting them to judicial authorities on December 4.

Following their arrest, the Congress leader filed a complaint against the BLO, alleging that the officer acted under the influence of the BJP-affiliated BLA and violated the Election Commission of India's code of conduct.

After securing bail, Hem Baruah stated that the charges against him and his colleague were unfounded. He explained that the BLO's responsibilities during the SR evaluation were being conducted by the local ward commissioner in Ward No. 14, which he contested. The police action followed a complaint lodged by the BLO.

While the Congress leaders have been released on bail, the Lakhimpur District Congress Committee has condemned the incident.