Udalguri: The Special Revision (SR) of electoral rolls in Assam has stirred controversy in the Mazbat Legislative Assembly constituency, with allegations that Form 7 provisions are being misused to seek deletion of genuine voters’ names through mass objections.
Ashadul Hoque and his father, Abdul Rafik, registered voters of Devpukhuri village, said they were among nearly 300 permanent residents who recently received notices stating that objections had been filed to delete their names from the voters’ list.
According to them, the objections were filed in bulk, allegedly by local BJP workers K. Sarmah and Shyam Panika. Hoque alleged that the objections lack individual verification or factual basis.
“These are not isolated cases. Form 7 has been used in bulk to target genuine citizens without proper inquiry. This raises serious doubts about the intention behind the exercise,” he said.
The affected voters have been directed to appear before the Mazbat Revenue Circle Office on January 27. Hoque said they would attend the hearings and also consider legal options against what he termed baseless and intimidating objections aimed at harassing lawful electors.
Questions have also been raised about procedural feasibility. As per the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, every voter whose name is objected to must be served an individual notice and given a reasonable opportunity to be heard. Hoque questioned how such due process could realistically be followed for hundreds of voters within a short window, when the hearings are expected to conclude by February 2.
Political observers note that similar complaints have been emerging from different parts of Assam, where Form 7, meant for cases involving death or permanent relocation, is allegedly being used to challenge the eligibility of large groups of voters during the SR process.
In Mazbat, residents of Dhupguri, Pachnoi, Biskhuti, and Devpukhuri villages have reportedly received notices citing reasons such as “absent” or “permanently shifted.” A sizeable number of those served notices belong to the Bengali-speaking Muslim community, fuelling concerns of selective targeting.
Meanwhile, election department officials have maintained that the process has sufficient safeguards. In an advisory, the department clarified that filing of Form 7 does not automatically result in deletion of a voter’s name.
Each objection, it said, must go through mandatory field verification and a personal hearing before any final decision is taken.
Local observers and political representatives have cited the high number of objections in Mazbat as a reason to review the SR process. They have called for an investigation to determine whether the current safeguards are sufficient to prevent procedural errors or potential political interference.