In Assam, Only 500 Appeals Filed After Electoral Rolls Special Revision

The Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, on Tuesday said only 500 appeals have been received after the recent Special Revision of electoral rolls in Assam.

The poll body chief said the figure of just 500 appeals out of a total of 2.5 crore electors exemplifies the success of the Special Revision exercise in the state.

He said that while the ECI is carrying out a Special Intensive Revision in other poll-bound states, a Special Revision was undertaken in Assam because the publication of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is in its final stage.

"If the name of any eligible voter did not make it to the electoral roll, the person can fill up Form 6. If the person is found ineligible even after filling up the form, he or she can appeal to the District Magistrate," the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) said.

He further added that while they have reviewed the situation in Assam and the state's poll preparedness, the dates will be finalised after a meeting of the ECI in Delhi.

The Election Commission will keep in mind the Rongali Bihu festival — the most popular festival in Assam — while announcing the election dates, the CEC added.

"The motive behind the SIR in Assam was to ensure that all eligible electors are included in the electoral rolls and that the names of all ineligible electors are removed," Kumar further stated.

Assam has 2,49,58,139 voters — 1,24,82,213 men, 1,24,75,583 women, and 343 third-gender voters. Of the total, 2,03,709 are persons with disabilities and 2,586 are centenarians.

The state has 31,486 polling stations, of which 27,711 are in rural areas and 3,775 in urban areas, the CEC said at a press briefing.