3 months ago
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Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma connected Tuesday (January 27, 2026) said that “four to 5 lakh Miya voters” volition beryllium deleted erstwhile the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls takes spot successful the poll-bound State, triggering crisp reactions from absorption leaders.
Speaking to journalists connected the sidelines of an authoritative programme successful Tinsukia district’s Digboi, helium besides insisted that his occupation was to marque the Miya—a pejorative word utilized successful Assam for Bengali-speaking Muslims, often labelled Bangladeshi—people suffer.
“Vote chori means we are trying to bargain immoderate Miya votes. They should ideally not beryllium allowed to ballot successful Assam, but successful Bangladesh,” the Chief Minister said.
“We are ensuring that they cannot ballot successful Assam,’ helium said, erstwhile his attraction was drawn to notices served connected thousands of Bengali-speaking Muslims during the claims and objections signifier of the ongoing Special Revision (SR) of the canvass rolls.
While the Election Commission is conducting the SIR successful 12 States and Union Territories crossed the country, it marked Assam for the SR, an workout akin to the accustomed updates to the electoral rolls.
“This [SR] is preliminary. When the SIR comes to Assam, 4 to 5 lakh Miya votes volition person to beryllium deleted successful Assam,” the Chief Minister said, indicating helium did not attraction astir what his opponents deliberation of his intention.
“Let Congress maltreatment maine arsenic overmuch arsenic they want. My occupation is to marque the Miya people suffer,” helium said, repeating his earlier connection that the Bharatiya Janata Party-led authorities volition make immoderate ‘utpaat’ (disturbances) for the assemblage wrong the ambit of the law.
Reacting to Mr Sarma’s comments, MLA and Raijor Dal president Akhil Gogoi pointed retired that the radical did not marque him the Chief Minister to support the Miya radical nether pressure.
“The Chief Minister has made the Constitution perfectly ineffective successful Assam,” Congress person Aman Wadud said.
According to the draught electoral rotation published connected December 27, 2025, Assam has 2.51 crore voters aft 4.78 lakh were marked dormant and 5.23 lakh were recovered shifted, portion 53,619 aggregate entries were deleted. The canvass authorities claimed 100% verification covering much than 61 lakh households
On January 25, six opposition parties — Congress, Raijor Dal, Assam Jatiya Parishad, CPI, CPI(M), and CPI(M-L) — submitted a memorandum to the State’s Chief Electoral Officer, alleging wide ineligible violations, governmental interference, and targeted harassment of genuine voters during the SR exercise, which they claimed was “arbitrary, unlawful, and unconstitutional”.
