Issue of D-voters of Bengali Hindus to be resolved in 6 months after polls: Assam CM

PTI, Apr 7, 2024, 8:45 PM IST

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday asserted that the issue of ‘Doubtful’ (D) voters of Bengali-Hindus of the state will be resolved in six months after the elections.

He termed the Congress, as an ‘old note’ which is no longer accepted by anyone.

Addressing an election rally in Hojai under the Kaziranga Lok Sabha constituency, Sarma said that the issue of D-voters of Bengali-Hindus will be permanently resolved in six months after the elections.

D-voters are those who could not provide evidence in favour of their Indian nationality. The issue of D-voters is one of the most contentious topics in Assam’s political and social sphere. The concept of D-voters was introduced in Assam in 1997 by the Election Commission. It does not exist anywhere else in India.

There are 96,987 D-voters in the state as per the information given in the state assembly in February this year.

Several elections have been fought over this single issue of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, who are initially marked as D-voters if their names are found in the electoral rolls.

Sarma also maintained that Assam has been witnessing peace and development in the BJP-led NDA rule at the Centre and in the state, and multiple problems like unemployment and poor road network are being addressed by his government.

Sarma alleged that there was ”no peace in the state under the Congress rule, and blasts, shootings and strife among different communities were common”.

”But now, all communities irrespective of language, religion and caste are living peacefully,” he said.

He likened the Congress to an ”old note that no one is ready to accept”.

Sarma also claimed, ”Someone who had been thinking of supporting the Congress will not do so if the person sees Rahul ‘baba’.” Earlier addressing another rally at Dergaon, Sarma emphasised that his government is focused on inclusive development of all areas.

The government will provide 50,000 more jobs along with one lakh previously promised, Sarma said.

He said a call centre employing 400-500 youths for 102 toll-free number of the state police will come up in Dergaon.

Under the 102 service, people will be able to report crimes in their residences over the phone and the police personnel will visit the house of the aggrieved and take a complaint on the spot.

In another rally in Golaghat, the chief minister said the government is working with a special focus on the development of tea tribes in the state.