Guwahati: The Communist Party of India Marxist has approached Assam’s Chief Electoral Officer with allegations of an unofficial voter survey in Bajali district. The party claims a verbal directive led to voter verification in 115 polling booths with a high concentration of Muslim voters.
The complaint comes from Suprakash Talukdar, secretary of the party’s Assam State Committee. His letter describes an alleged breach of the Special Revision process for electoral rolls.
He states the District Commissioner of Bajali held a meeting after publication of the draft electoral roll on December 27. Officials linked to election duties attended. Cabinet Minister Ranjeet Kumar Dass also attended the meeting. Government employees, mainly schoolteachers, were present.
According to the letter, the District Commissioner issued oral instructions during the meeting. The instructions asked staff to conduct voter surveys or verification in selected polling booths dominated by Muslim voters.
Talukdar notes absence of any written order or official communication authorising such activity. He raises concern over booth selection. The booths already had appointed Booth Level Officers under Election Commission rules. Many of those officers belong to the Muslim community.
The letter alleges bypassing Booth Level Officers through deployment of other government staff. Such action, the party says, violates prescribed Special Revision procedures.
When government employees sought written directions, officials reportedly refused to issue any document. The party fears similar steps across other districts without timely intervention.
The CPI(M) has urged the Chief Electoral Officer to order a full enquiry into conduct of the District Commissioner and related officials. The party seeks strict action if allegations prove true. The appeal stresses protection of credibility, impartiality, and constitutional duty of the Election Commission of India. The letter calls for a fair, transparent, and non discriminatory Special Revision process.
 petitions Assam Chief Electoral Officer over alleged verbal orders for voter surveys in Muslim dominated polling booths in Bajali district.){kind=link}