SIR of poll rolls will help remove bogus voters in riverine areas: Assam CM New

GUWAHATI

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday (August 11, 2025) said a special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls would help remove bogus voters in the State’s riverine areas.

Such areas, dotted with chars (sandbars), are primarily inhabited by Bengali-speaking or migrant Muslims, often perceived as Bangladeshi in Assam.

“In the chars and other riverine areas, the voter list is filled with the names of the deceased and individuals living elsewhere. Yet, these areas often witness a 100% voting,” the Chief Minister told journalists in western Assam’s Chirang.

He said linking the names of voters with their Aadhaar numbers during the SIR process would prevent duplication and ensure cleaner electoral rolls.

Slams Rahul

The Chief Minister also criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for opposing the SIR of the voter lists in Bihar, where Assembly polls are due later this year. “He is not clear about what he wants. He should tell the Election Commission to revise the voter lists with Aadhaar-linking so that a person cannot vote in two places,” he said.

“If the voter lists are so erroneous, how did the Congress win in Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, and Telangana? After EVMs, he is using the voter list as a weapon now,” the Chief Minister said.

He also defended the eviction drives across the State, rejecting allegations that these were being carried out in minority-dominated areas.

“We are evicting Miya Muslim encroachers from forest land, village grazing reserves, and professional grazing reserves. Our people do not encroach upon such lands. Unlike the tribal people, non-tribals are not eligible for land deeds in such areas,” the Chief Minister said.

Miya is a pejorative term for Muslims with roots in present-day Bangladesh.

He asserted that protests by organisations such as the All-Assam Minority Students’ Union against the eviction drives would not change the government’s policy to uproot illegal settlers. “There will be more evictions if such organisations make noises,” he said.