Assam left out of next phase of SIR by Election Commission; here’s why

Guwahati, October 28: In an announcement that stirred curiosity across Assam’s political and civic circles, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, on Monday, left the state out of the second phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The omission raised eyebrows, particularly since Assam is among the states scheduled for Assembly elections next year.

However, the Election Commission of India (ECI) clarified that the state’s exclusion stemmed from its unique legal and procedural circumstances tied to the citizenship framework and the ongoing Supreme Court-monitored National Register of Citizens (NRC) process.

“Assam has a separate provision under India’s Citizenship Act. Secondly, the Supreme Court-monitored citizenship identification process is about to conclude. In such a situation, the June-24 SIR order, which applied to the whole country, is not applicable to Assam. Revision instructions for the state will be issued separately,” CEC Kumar told the press.

Assam’s exclusion from the second phase of SIR stems from the fact that the state functions under a distinct legal structure defined by Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, 1955, a clause born out of the Assam Accord of 1985.

This provision recognises the state’s special context in determining citizenship for individuals who entered Assam between 1966 and 1971.

Because of this framework, the EC’s nationwide voter roll verification order does not automatically apply to Assam. Instead, the state will receive separate directions for voter list revision once the ongoing citizenship verification process concludes.

The NRC factor & SC’s oversight

The ECI’s cautious stance coincides with renewed judicial attention to the NRC. In August, 2025, the Supreme Court had agreed to hear a petition filed by former NRC State Coordinator, Hitesh Dev Sarma, seeking a comprehensive re-verification of the 2019 NRC list, which excluded over 19 lakh of the 3.4 crore applicants.

A bench of Justice P.S. Narasimha and Justice Atul Chandurkar issued notices to the Centre, the Assam government, current State NRC Coordinator Partha Pratim Mazumdar and the Registrar General of India Mritunjay Kumar Narayan, seeking their responses before the next hearing.

The petition argues that the final NRC, published in August 2019, contained large-scale irregularities and errors, undermining its credibility. It contends that only a complete re-verification can ensure an accurate and trustworthy record of citizenship.

This pending judicial process is central to the EC’s decision to pause Assam’s inclusion in the nationwide SIR. Conducting a parallel voter list revision while the NRC remains under judicial scrutiny could risk procedural overlap or conflicting outcomes.

Political Reactions

Reactions to Assam’s omission were immediate and divided. Hours before the ECI’s Monday announcement, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said his government would “fully support the ECI’s decision” and follow whatever directions are issued.

The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), however, viewed the move with suspicion. Former MP Ripun Bora alleged that the poll body might be attempting to benefit certain political forces under the pretext of voter roll revision.

He added that the party had trained over 29,000 Booth Level Agents (BLAs) to closely monitor any future voter list exercise.

Civil society’s demand for a clean roll

Civil society voices have also weighed in. Earlier in August, the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) had reiterated its longstanding demand for a “clean and credible” electoral roll.

Speaking to The Assam Tribune, AASU chief adviser Samujjal Bhattacharya had said that Assam’s situation was distinct from other states, with “a large number of foreigners” allegedly still on the voter rolls. He urged the ECI to prioritise a rigorous verification process once the NRC issue is resolved.

Bhattacharya recalled that during TN Seshan’s tenure as CEC, many names were declared “doubtful”, but subsequent efforts to clean the rolls had been half-hearted.

What lies ahead?

For now, Assam’s voter list revision is on hold, though not permanently. The ECI plans a separate, state-specific review after the Supreme Court’s guidance; a cautious, legally sound move.

Until then, Assam stands apart, where citizenship, identity, and electoral rights remain closely linked, shaping its politics like nowhere else in India.