Influx of out-of-state voters in lower Assam sparks row | Guwahati News

Guwahati: An unusual movement of voters by buses and trains from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Kerala, and a few other states to districts in lower Assam came to light in the last 24 hours ahead of the polling day. Lower Assam is known to be vulnerable to the influx of illegal migrants from Bangladesh. However, allegations have also surfaced regarding Hindi-speaking voters attempting to vote illegally in the Assam election.In Barpeta district, many Muslim voters arriving by rail since Tuesday said they work outside the state and had returned to vote in constituencies like Jania, Mandia, and other seats in lower Assam where Muslim voters play a decisive role. A large crowd gathered at Barpeta Road railway station, which connects to several Muslim-majority seats.“People usually come in such large numbers during elections. We are keeping a vigil, and if any complaint arises, we will take action,” said Barpeta SP Pushkin Jain.Sources said many Muslim families fear their citizenship may be questioned if they do not vote. “I have come from UP to vote in Mandia. I arrive just ahead of elections because I belong to this land,” said a youth.Congress candidate from Dispur, Mira Borthakur Goswami, on Wednesday, caught a voter from UP, Dilraj Singh, who allegedly approached her asking if she needed his vote. Borthakur claimed the boy, who possessed an “IIT Guwahati identity card”, offered to vote for her in the Dispur constituency. Mira told the media she was shocked by the approach and alleged it reflected an attempt at “vote chori” (vote theft), alleging BJP might be trying to secure votes through such means.Mira said four to five youths came in the morning and offered to help her. “He (Dilraj) told me he is a voter from UP but likes me. He said he could arrange 10 to 20 votes if I wished,” she said.Mira claimed the boy told her there was a system to vote even without being listed in the Assam voter roll. “I thought since I have an IIT Guwahati identity card, I could vote in Assam,” he reportedly said. He added that he had been residing in the Brahmaputra hostel at IIT Guwahati for the past year. A response from IIT Guwahati is awaited.He also claimed to have been associated with NSUI in BHU before joining IIT Guwahati. Mira said legal action would be taken against him. His identity is yet to be verified. Mira alleged he is affiliated with “Yuva Morcha”.Assam Pradesh Congress Committee media department chairperson Bedabrat Bora said the Congress suspects a large number of voters have arrived in Assam, similar to alleged vote theft incidents in Bihar and Madhya Pradesh during recent elections.“From other states, many Hindi-speaking people have arrived in Assam by various vehicles to vote. Just as we alleged vote chori in Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, where outsiders voted before genuine voters could, will the same happen in Assam?” Bora asked.He questioned whether election authorities had deployed personnel to prevent such attempts. “Has any action been taken against those who arrived to vote? Have the police and administration been alerted? Has the EC deployed volunteers to prevent vote chori?” Bora asked.He said even without voter ID cards, such people might try to vote. “They may use fake voter IDs or other identity cards. Election authorities must take this issue seriously,” Bora said, adding that voter ID verification should be mandatory.Congress shared a video clip where a few youths were heard telling a mediaperson in Hindi that they are residents of Assam and vote in every election.“I am from UP but I am a resident of Assam. I have a job and other work here,” said one of the youths.Five to six buses were shown in a video, with number plates indicating registration in Bihar. The authenticity of the video and the route of the buses, however, is yet to be confirmed.All Assam Students’ Union general secretary Samiran Phukan said many people from outside Assam came to vote, leading to various allegations. “Some were said to be Muslims of East Bengal origin, while others were described as Biharis or members of other communities. But AASU wants an Assam where indigenous communities have the deciding voice,” he said.Phukan also expressed concern that many of those who arrived in districts such as Barpeta were unable to speak Assamese.