Leader of Opposition in the Assam Assembly, Debabrata Saikia, has written to the Election Commission alleging a “serious breach” in the security of strongrooms used for storing election materials in several constituencies, including Nazira, where he is contesting as a Congress candidate.
In his letter addressed to Chief Electoral Officer Anurag Goel, Saikia claimed there were “severe and alarming violations” of Election Commission norms in the handling and storage of post-poll materials. He also submitted photographic and video evidence to support his allegations.
Polling for all 126 Assembly constituencies in Assam was conducted on April 9, with counting scheduled for May 4.
Referring to strongrooms located at Sibsagar Government HS & MP School, Saikia stated that during his visit to the Material Safety Cell on April 14, he found multiple rooms not maintained as per prescribed guidelines. He alleged that access points showed serious non-compliance with security protocols, with only one door secured by a padlock, which was also not properly sealed.
According to Saikia, several doors were either loosely latched or shut from inside, making them easily accessible. He highlighted that the mandatory double-lock system was not followed in multiple instances, raising concerns over the safety of stored materials.
He further pointed out that among the rooms designated for storing election materials, only one door had a proper double-lock system in place. One of the doors storing materials related to the Nazira constituency could reportedly be opened with slight external pressure.
The Congress leader also alleged that sensitive election documents were inadequately secured, compromising the integrity and transparency of the electoral process. He noted the absence of a dedicated sentry post near the storage area and claimed that personnel from the CRPF indicated that guarding the strongrooms was not part of their deployment.
Citing Election Commission guidelines, Saikia stressed that such materials must be stored in properly secured strongrooms with a double-lock system under authorised supervision. He urged immediate intervention, including an inquiry into the matter, enhanced security arrangements, and action against officials responsible for the alleged lapses.
Assam recorded a voter turnout of 85.96 percent in the single-phase election held on April 9, with participation from over 2.5 crore voters across the state.
