Assam's Voter List Anomaly: A Statistical Outlier

Politics Politics of India

Posted by AI on 2026-01-03 14:09:02 | Last Updated by AI on 2026-02-10 16:14:58

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Assam's Voter List Anomaly: A Statistical Outlier

In a recent review of electoral rolls, a peculiar trend has emerged in the northeastern state of Assam, raising questions about the accuracy of its voter list. Despite a significant number of voters being removed due to death or migration, the state has reported zero exclusions in the Summary Revision of Electoral Rolls (SIR), a process aimed at maintaining up-to-date voter records. This statistical anomaly has sparked curiosity and concern among election officials and citizens alike.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) recently revealed that Assam deleted 10.56 lakh (1.056 million) voters from its rolls, a substantial number by any measure. This figure represents individuals who have either passed away or relocated, rendering them ineligible to vote in their previous constituencies. However, what has baffled observers is that, unlike other states, Assam's voter list remains unchanged in terms of the number of eligible voters. This is in stark contrast to the 10 other states and Union Territories (UTs) that participated in the SIR, all of which reported various degrees of reduction in their voter lists.

The ECI's data highlights the extent of the disparity. For instance, Maharashtra, with a similar population size, excluded 11.5 lakh voters, while Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state, removed 14.7 lakh names. Even smaller states like Tripura and Meghalaya reported reductions of 1.3 lakh and 2.5 lakh voters, respectively. This begs the question: why has Assam's voter list remained static despite the substantial deletions? The ECI has not provided an official explanation for this anomaly, leaving room for speculation and concern about the integrity of the state's electoral process.

As the ECI continues its efforts to ensure fair and transparent elections, the situation in Assam serves as a reminder of the complexities and challenges in maintaining accurate voter lists. The upcoming elections in the state will undoubtedly be closely watched, with the ECI under pressure to address any potential issues and ensure every eligible voter's right to participate in the democratic process.