Assam Opposition Files FIR Against BJP Leader Dilip Saikia Over Alleged Voter List Manipulation

Guwahati: Allegations of attempted interference in Assam’s electoral process took a sharper political turn on Friday, as the Congress and other opposition parties jointly filed an FIR at Dispur Police Station against Assam BJP president Dilip Saikia, demanding a thorough investigation into a controversial internal video conference allegedly involving instructions on voter list manipulation.

The FIR follows claims that during a January 4 video conference, Saikia asked party workers to identify people who did not vote for the BJP in 60 Assembly constituencies and to make arrangements for deleting their names from the electoral rolls. The allegations have sparked intense political debate at a time when the state is in the midst of the Special Revision (SR) of electoral rolls.

A broad cross-section of opposition leaders were present at the police station during the filing of the FIR, including Congress MP Rakibul Hussain, former MP Ripun Bora, Assam Pradesh Mahila Congress president Mira Borthakur, AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi, Raijor Dal leader Russell Hussain, Kabindra Chetia Phukan, CPI(M) leader Suprakash Talukdar, and CPI(ML) leader Pankaj Kumar Das—signalling rare unity among opposition parties on an issue they described as fundamental to democracy.

In the FIR, the opposition demanded that police secure and examine the video footage of the January 4 conference, warning that failure to do so could allow evidence to be tampered with. They also urged authorities to ensure accountability for anyone involved in what they termed an alleged conspiracy to “steal votes”.

Speaking to the media after filing the FIR, senior Congress leader and former MP Ripun Bora said the opposition had no choice but to seek police intervention. “All opposition parties have come together to file an FIR against the BJP state president for violating the laws of the Election Commission and the Representation of the People Act. We have also submitted a memorandum with five demands to the Chief Electoral Officer of Assam,” Bora said.

Bora added that despite the issue receiving widespread media coverage, the Election Commission had not taken suo motu action so far. “The police must investigate the matter and collect the video conference recordings so that the conversation cannot be distorted and the truth can be placed before the people of Assam,” he said.

Earlier in the day, the opposition delegation submitted a five-page memorandum to Assam Chief Electoral Officer Anurag Goel, urging immediate intervention. The memorandum alleged a larger conspiracy by the BJP to influence voter lists and called on the Election Commission, as an independent constitutional authority, to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process.

The opposition also flagged alleged irregularities in areas such as Bajali, Golakganj and Sribhumi, where Booth Level Officers (BLOs) belonging to a particular community were allegedly removed or transferred abruptly. They demanded assurances that neither the Chief Minister nor the BJP state president—or any political authority—would be able to influence the ongoing Special Revision process.

Among their demands, the opposition called for a high-level investigation into the alleged remarks made during the video conference, strict scrutiny of bulk objections to voter lists, and directions to election officials to ensure that no objections are disposed of without proper hearings. They also sought protection for election officers and staff from political pressure during the entire SR exercise.

The BJP has not yet responded formally to the FIR. As Assam undergoes a sensitive revision of electoral rolls, the controversy has raised wider concerns about trust, transparency and the neutrality of institutions tasked with safeguarding the democratic process.

Meanwhile the Assam BJP on Thursday accused the Congress-led opposition of attempting to mobilise voters by promoting what it described as the rise of a separate “Miya identity” in the state, a charge that reflects the deepening political fault lines ahead of upcoming electoral and demographic exercises.

Addressing a press conference at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Bhawan, BJP spokesperson Jayanta Kumar Goswami alleged that opposition parties were “desperately trying to patronise the Miya community” for political gains. He linked this claim to a series of recent developments, including statements by AIUDF chief Maulana Badruddin Ajmal about his eligibility to become Assam’s Chief Minister, the political realignment of Rajya Sabha MP Ajit Kumar Bhuyan, and the controversy surrounding the deletion of voter names from the Sarupathar Assembly constituency.

Goswami said that following an eviction drive at Uriamghat in Golaghat district, more than 11,000 Muslims were evicted, and during the ongoing Special Summary Revision (SSR) of electoral rolls, the names of around 11,000 voters from Sarupathar were deleted. According to the BJP, these developments have been politicised by opposition leaders to create public pressure and confusion around the voter revision process.

The BJP spokesperson alleged that Raijor Dal MLA Akhil Gogoi has launched a smear campaign against Assam BJP president Dilip Saikia in an attempt to prevent the deletion of what he described as “illegal Miya voters”. He further claimed that opposition parties had filed an FIR against Saikia at Dispur Police Station, accusing them of indulging in appeasement politics and targeting indigenous interests.

Goswami also raised concerns over a proposal to establish a Miya Museum at Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra, alleging that the move, backed by suspended Congress MLA Sherman Ali and supported by Akhil Gogoi, was aimed at creating what he termed a new form of “Miya nationalism” in Assam. He claimed that in parts of Lower Assam, areas he said were once predominantly Hindu-inhabited, there were efforts underway to legitimise Miya migrants as Indian citizens and promote what he called “Miya glorification”.

Expressing apprehension over demographic changes, Goswami stated that Miya Muslims could account for nearly 40 per cent of Assam’s population in the upcoming census, and criticised the opposition for what he described as irresponsible and divisive politics.

The opposition parties have yet to respond collectively to the BJP’s allegations. The issue is likely to intensify political debate in the state, especially as Assam navigates sensitive questions around citizenship, voter rolls, and identity in the run-up to future elections.