Assam gets voter list update ahead of assembly elections
Assam is getting a major update to its voter list, just ahead of next year's assembly elections.
The Election Commission has launched a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) to sort out who's eligible to vote—especially important with all the ongoing debates around the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
Teachers are stepping in as booth-level officers and spending their summer break learning how to get this right.
Update alone won't fix demographic issues, says Sarma
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma says updating the voter list alone won't fix deeper demographic issues, pointing out Assam uses a 1971 citizenship cut-off date (not 1951 like the rest of India).
The last NRC process left nearly 2 million people off the list, sparking big concerns.
Meanwhile, BJP leaders have criticized how some refugee documents weren't accepted—impacting groups like Bengalee Hindus and Koch Rajbonshis.
This new revision aims to make sure everyone who belongs on Assam's rolls is counted fairly.