Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday assured the people of Barak Valley region that the long-standing issue of ‘doubtful voters’ (D-voters) faced by some residents in the state will be resolved within the next six months.
Sarma, who was in the region to extend support to BJP candidates Parimal Suklabaidya and Kripanath Mallah as they filed their nominations for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, addressed the concerns surrounding D-voters during his visit.
In Assam, individuals who have been denied the right to vote due to doubts over their citizenship are categorized as D-voters. As of February this year, the state had registered 96,987 D-voters, according to the Assam government.
Acknowledging the challenges faced by the people of Karimganj and Hailakandi districts regarding the D-voter issue, the Chief Minister stated, “People residing in Karimganj and Hailakandi districts have been facing the D-voter issue for a long time. Now, the Central government has implemented the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), and the D-voter issue will be completely solved.”
Sarma’s assurance comes in the wake of concerns raised during the recent Assam Assembly’s budget session, where he revealed that more than 1.59 lakh people had been identified as “foreigners” in the state, and over 96,000 voters had been tagged as D-voters.
The Chief Minister’s commitment to resolving the D-voter issue within the next six months has been welcomed by residents of the affected districts, who have long grappled with the uncertainty surrounding their voting rights and citizenship status.
The D-voter issue has been a contentious topic in Assam, with concerns raised over the potential disenfranchisement of genuine citizens. The implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is expected to provide a legal framework for addressing the citizenship claims of eligible individuals, thereby facilitating the resolution of the D-voter conundrum.
Authorities have assured that the process of resolving the D-voter issue will be conducted in a fair and transparent manner, safeguarding the rights of all stakeholders while upholding the principles of democracy and inclusive governance.