Assam BJP president Dilip Saikia today said that Independent MLA Akhil Gogoi is trying to mislead the people of Assam by making false claims regarding the voters’ list and internal party discussions. Speaking at a press conference, Saikia said the screenshot shared by Akhil Gogoi on Monday was from a video conference held on January 4, and added that the same information had already been posted on Facebook and X earlier.
He said there was nothing new in what Akhil Gogoi had shown, and accused him of trying to create confusion. “Whatever Akhil Gogoi is saying has no value. His statements are not worth even five paise,” Saikia said.
Saikia also criticised leaders of the INDIA bloc, saying different leaders were making different claims about the number of doubtful voters. “Someone says 60, someone else says 31. People die, names are deleted, some names remain. It is the duty of the Election Commission of India to check all this,” he said. He added that political parties also have the right and responsibility to verify names in the electoral rolls. 
According to Saikia, there are many reasons why names may be missing or wrongly included in the voter list. He said some people die and their names remain, while in some cases newly married women do not find their names in the list. He said parties often hold internal discussions and video conferences on such matters, and there is nothing wrong in doing so.
Saikia further said that every citizen wants a correct and transparent voter list. He pointed out that in Assam, Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has not taken place, although Special Revision has been done. He said the BJP has demanded that SIR should also be carried out in the state, as it has been done in other parts of the country.
He claimed that SIR helps in identifying genuine and natural citizens who are eligible to vote. Referring to the NRC process in Assam, Saikia said it did not produce the expected results and was rejected. He alleged that during the Congress government, the names of many non-citizens were added to the voter list. He said having one’s name in the voter list alone does not prove citizenship.
Saikia said SIR is usually conducted after long intervals, sometimes after 10 to 20 years, and helps verify voter eligibility. “We welcome SIR in the rest of India, and we want it in Assam too. We want a perfect voter list where doubtful names are removed,” he said.
On the voter list controversy related to the Dighalipukhuri area in Guwahati, Saikia said both parties involved can file a complaint if they believe there is wrongdoing. He said if any unknown name appears in an urban locality like Dighalipukhuri, it should be cross-checked, and corrections will be made if required.
Saikia said the BJP wants fair elections and an accurate voter list for all genuine citizens of Assam.
