What Happened
- The Election Commission of India (ECI) published the final electoral roll for Assam on 10 February 2026 after a Special Revision (SR) covering all 126 Assembly constituencies, with the total electorate standing at 2,49,58,139.
- In the draft roll (published 27 December 2025), over 10.56 lakh names had been deleted — approximately 4.7 lakh due to deaths and over 5.2 lakh identified as having shifted from their registered locations during house-to-house verification by Booth Level Officers (BLOs).
- In the final roll, an additional 2.43 lakh names were dropped compared to the draft, while 5.86 lakh new names were added after the claims-and-objections period.
- The process has been contentious, with allegations that the revision was used to target specific communities; political parties filed over five lakh complaints against suspected foreigners during the SR period.
- Voters whose names have been deleted can file Form 6 for fresh inclusion at their current address, or appeal to the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) and subsequently to the District Magistrate within 15 days of the ERO's decision.
Static Topic Bridges
Special Revision of Electoral Rolls — Section 21 of the RPA, 1950
The Representation of the People Act, 1950 (RPA, 1950) governs the preparation and revision of electoral rolls in India. Under Section 21, the electoral roll for each constituency is prepared by reference to a qualifying date (1 January of the relevant year) and comes into force upon final publication. Section 21(3) empowers the Election Commission to direct a special revision of the electoral roll for any constituency or part of a constituency, at any time, for reasons to be recorded.
- Section 21(1): Electoral rolls shall be revised before each general election, by reference to the qualifying date
- Section 21(3): ECI can order a special revision in such manner as it may think fit — this is the provision under which Assam's SR was ordered
- Qualifying date for Assam SR: 1 January 2026
- Article 324 of the Constitution vests superintendence, direction, and control of electoral rolls in the Election Commission
- Assam's process was a Special Revision (SR), not a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) — the SR focuses on physical verification by BLOs without requiring enumeration forms, unlike SIR which involves door-to-door enumeration with document checks
Connection to this news: The ECI ordered a Special Revision in Assam under Section 21(3), with house-to-house verification beginning on 22 November 2025 and the final roll published on 10 February 2026, resulting in the deletion of over 10 lakh names from the draft stage.
Electoral Roll Management — Forms 6, 7, and Section 22-24 of the RPA, 1950
The electoral roll system provides structured legal remedies for inclusion, objection, and correction. Form 6 is the application for inclusion of a name in the electoral roll (for first-time voters or those who have shifted constituencies). Form 7 is used for objecting to the inclusion of a name or seeking deletion of a name. Section 22 allows correction and transposition of entries. Section 23 allows any person to apply for inclusion if their name is missing. Section 24 provides for an appeal to the District Magistrate against any decision of the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO).
- Form 6: Application for new registration or registration after shifting — requires proof of age, residence, and identity
- Form 7: Application for objection to inclusion or seeking deletion — can be filed by any person against another's enrollment
- Section 24: Appeal to the District Magistrate within 15 days of the ERO's decision; the DM's order is final (subject to writ jurisdiction of the High Court)
- Form 8: Application for correction of particulars (name, photo, address) in an existing entry
- Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 prescribe the detailed procedure for processing these forms
- Voters can also apply online through the National Voters' Service Portal (NVSP) or the Voter Helpline App
Connection to this news: Voters whose names were deleted in Assam's SR can file Form 6 for fresh inclusion at their current address, or file an appeal under Section 24 to the District Magistrate if they believe the deletion was erroneous. High Court writ jurisdiction remains available as a further remedy.
Assam Accord (1985) and the Foreigners Question in Electoral Rolls
The Assam Accord, signed on 15 August 1985, was a tripartite agreement between the Government of India, the State Government of Assam, and leaders of the anti-foreigners movement (AASU and AAGSP). It established 24 March 1971 as the cut-off date for detection and deportation of foreigners in Assam and created a framework for identifying illegal migrants.
- Three categories of migrants: (1) Pre-1 January 1966 — full citizenship and voting rights; (2) 1 January 1966 to 24 March 1971 — names deleted from electoral rolls for 10 years but permitted to reside; (3) Post-25 March 1971 — to be detected and deported
- The National Register of Citizens (NRC) update in Assam, completed in August 2019, excluded 19,06,657 persons from the final list
- "D-voters" (Doubtful voters) — a category unique to Assam, marked during electoral roll revision; their cases are referred to Foreigners Tribunals established under the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order, 1964
- As of recent data, Assam has approximately 94,277 D-voters pending adjudication
- The ECI has clarified that NRC-excluded persons are not automatically treated as D-voters and retain voting rights until declared foreigners by a Tribunal
Connection to this news: The SR exercise in Assam is politically sensitive because of the state's unique history of anti-foreigner movements. Allegations that the revision was used to selectively target communities echo long-standing concerns about the intersection of citizenship verification and electoral roll management in the state.
Article 326 — Universal Adult Suffrage
Article 326 of the Constitution of India guarantees that elections to the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies shall be on the basis of adult suffrage. Every citizen of India who is not less than 18 years of age and is not disqualified on grounds of non-residence, unsoundness of mind, crime, or corrupt or illegal practice, is entitled to be registered as a voter.
- Originally set voting age at 21 years; reduced to 18 years by the 61st Constitutional Amendment Act, 1988
- Article 326 is in Part XV (Elections) of the Constitution
- Disqualification grounds are exhaustively listed: non-residence, unsoundness of mind, crime, corrupt/illegal practice — no disqualification on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, or literacy
- Right to vote is a statutory right, not a fundamental right (PUCL v. Union of India, 2003), but the right to stand for elections is considered part of the broader democratic framework
- Article 325 prohibits any person from being excluded from the general electoral roll on grounds of religion, race, caste, or sex
Connection to this news: The mass deletion of names raises concerns about the effective exercise of the right to vote under Article 326, particularly if eligible citizens are excluded through administrative processes without adequate opportunity to establish their credentials.
Key Facts & Data
- Assam final electoral roll published: 10 February 2026
- Total electorate: 2,49,58,139
- Names deleted in draft roll: Over 10.56 lakh (4.7 lakh deaths + 5.2 lakh shifted)
- Additional deletions in final roll: 2.43 lakh beyond draft stage
- New names added: 5.86 lakh
- Assembly constituencies covered: 126
- SR qualifying date: 1 January 2026
- SR process: House-to-house verification began 22 November 2025; draft roll 27 December 2025; claims/objections till 22 January 2026; final roll 10 February 2026
- NRC Assam (2019): 19,06,657 persons excluded from final list
- Assam Accord cut-off date: 24 March 1971
- 61st Amendment (1988): Reduced voting age from 21 to 18 years
- Legal remedies: Form 6 (inclusion), Form 7 (objection/deletion), Section 24 RPA 1950 (appeal to DM within 15 days)