Guwahati, Jan 31: A coalition of opposition parties staged a protest in Guwahati on Friday, alleging irregularities in Assam’s draft electoral rolls and “vote theft” through the Special Revision (SR) process ahead of the 2026 assembly elections.

Hundreds of workers from Congress, Assam Jatiya Parishad, CPI(M), Raijor Dal, and CPI(ML) Liberation gathered at Chachal, raising slogans against the BJP government led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and the Election Commission.

Assam Congress President Gaurav Gogoi accused the Sarma administration of running a “government of thieves and looters” and urged voters to remove the BJP in the upcoming elections. Gogoi said, “The fall of the Himanta Biswa Sarma government is now inevitable. The day the BJP government is removed from power, Himanta Biswa Sarma will have to go to jail.”

He further alleged that Sarma was undermining democratic values, misusing the Election Commission, and denying citizens their voting rights. “The opposition has united against vote chori. Seeing our unity, the people have gained courage… In a democratic country, no one is more powerful than the people,” Gogoi added.

Assam Jatiya Parishad president Lurinjyoti Gogoi criticized the BJP for failing to fulfill promises, including granting Scheduled Tribe status to six communities, and pledged to prevent “vote chori.” CPI(M) Assam State Secretary Suprakash Talukdar called for the government’s removal to protect democratic rights.

Raijor Dal general secretary Rasel Hussain alleged large-scale corruption linked to Sarma’s family and business syndicates, including cement, coal, fish, eggs, and areca nut, stressing that public unity was key to removing the government. CPI(ML) Liberation State Secretary Bibek Das accused the BJP of systematically undermining democracy and attacking citizens’ voting rights.

The Election Commission had published Assam’s integrated draft electoral roll on December 30 following the Special Revision, listing 2,52,01,624 electors—a 1.35% increase from January 2025. The revision added 7,86,841 voters, deleted 4,47,196, and flagged 4,78,992 deceased, 5,23,680 shifted, and 53,619 multiple entries. Deletions are subject to formal claims during the objections period from December 27 to January 22. Special campaigns were held on January 3-4 and 10-11. The final electoral roll is scheduled to be published on February 10.