Guwahati, Jan 6: Assam Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia has urged Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to suspend the finalisation of the state’s draft electoral rolls, citing “serious irregularities” detected during the Special Revision (SR).

In a letter sent on Monday, Saikia highlighted the unauthorised inclusion of non-Assamese speaking voters and procedural lapses, including entries of “unknown” persons in households without residents’ knowledge. He pointed out instances such as four non-Assamese voters listed at House Nos. 44 and 15 on Tayabulla Road in Guwahati, and entries against a non-existent Household No. 00 in the Nazira constituency.

Saikia warned that these irregularities could undermine electoral integrity, violate Clause 6 of the Assam Accord, and reflect concerns raised by Rahul Gandhi regarding potential vote manipulation. He called for a transparent investigation by the Election Commission of India (ECI), public disclosure of findings, removal of bogus entries, and stricter verification before the final roll is published on February 10.

The draft roll, released on December 30, lists 2.52 crore electors—a 1.35% increase from the previous roll—comprising 7.86 lakh additions and 4.47 lakh deletions since January 2025. The ECI identified 4.79 lakh deceased voters, 5.24 lakh shifted voters, and 53,619 duplicates, pending formal claims during the ongoing objection period from December 27 to January 22.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma dismissed the allegations, advising the opposition to submit corrections using Forms 6, 7, and 8 instead of making media complaints. Claims and objections are ongoing, with special verification drives conducted on January 3–4 and January 10–11.