Dispur Voter List Row: DEO Says No Fake Names, House Number Change Led to Confusion

The Office of the District Election Officer (DEO), Kamrup Metropolitan, has categorically dismissed allegations of bogus or unidentified voters being included in the electoral roll of the 33 No. Dispur Legislative Assembly Constituency, clarifying that the controversy arose due to changes in the manner of recording house numbers over the years.

Responding to media reports that questioned the inclusion of several voters under House No. 595 at Polling Station No. 27 of Binova Nagar L.P. School (Middle Section), the DEO stated that the voters in question have been part of the electoral roll since as early as 2005 and were never illegally enrolled.

According to the election office, from 2005 until the draft electoral roll of 2018, these voters were listed under multiple sub-house numbers such as 595(A), 595(B), 595(C), 595(D), and others. However, from 2019 onwards, the alphabetic suffixes attached to house numbers were removed from the voter database, resulting in all such voters being reflected simply under House No. 595. This administrative change led to the present misunderstanding.

Officials further pointed out that prior to constituency delimitation, the polling station fell under the 53 No. East Guwahati Legislative Assembly Constituency, adding another layer to the confusion surrounding the records.

Following the controversy, booth-level field verification was conducted by Booth Level Officers (BLOs), during which the correct residential addresses of the voters were physically verified and updated. The verification confirmed that the voters were spread across several houses in the locality, including House Nos. 33, 24(A), 35, 9, 37, 15 and 30.

The DEO also clarified that two voters-- Jeet Bahadur Pradhan and Saraswati Pradhan-- were found to have shifted from the area, while another voter, Jogen Barua, was recorded as married during the verification process.

The election office stressed that the exercise was carried out as part of the ongoing house-to-house survey and that all voter details, including photographs, surnames and supporting documents, were thoroughly examined and authenticated. Importantly, no objections were raised by neighbouring residents of House No. 595 during the verification.

Reiterating its commitment to transparency and accuracy, the District Election Officer’s office said the electoral roll has been updated strictly in accordance with Election Commission guidelines, and no irregularities or illegal inclusions have been detected in the Dispur constituency voter list.

Also Read: DEO Clarifies Media Reports on Electoral Roll Discrepancies in New Guwahati Seat