Chairperson of the Campaign Committee of the Assam Congress and former APCC president Bhupen Borah today strongly criticised the Election Commission of India (ECI) and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over the new voter inclusion rule ahead of the 2026 Assembly election. Borah said the move is “dangerous, unfair and a direct threat to the identity, security and future of the Assamese people.”
Speaking to reporters, Borah said the Election Commission has announced that any person arriving in Assam just two days before polling day will be allowed to add their name to the voter list and cast their vote. He said this sudden relaxation of norms raises serious questions about voter integrity and the protection of Assam’s cultural rights.
Borah also referred to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s latest statement where the CM confidently said that the BJP will make a “clean sweep” in the 2026 Assembly election. Linking the two developments, Borah questioned how the Chief Minister could make such a bold prediction at a time when the EC has allowed fresh voter inclusion just 48 hours before polling. 
He said such a rule could open the door for large numbers of people from other states to temporarily enter Assam during election time and get their names added to the voter list. Borah said this could influence election outcomes and deeply harm the democratic rights of Assamese people.
He raised a practical concern:
“If someone has already voted in a state like Bihar or Haryana, and after voting there they come to Assam in March or April, and then put their name again in the voter list just two days before polling who will ensure that their name has been deleted from their original constituency? How will anyone check this? This is a very serious issue,” Borah said.
He warned that such a situation could lead to lakhs of non-residents entering Assam just before elections and casting votes, which he termed as “injustice to Assamese culture, tradition and collective decision-making.” He added that this matter goes beyond political parties and ideology.
Borah said he is not speaking only as a Congress leader but as an Assamese citizen who wants to protect the cultural and linguistic identity of Assam. He said that elections are like a festival for the people of Assam, and allowing outsiders to influence the outcome disrupts the basic spirit of democracy in the state.
“Any party can win, any party can be in opposition. That is not the issue. But how can the Election Commission allow a system where anyone can come from anywhere and vote in Assam? And how can the Chief Minister claim a clean sweep when such a controversial rule is in place?” he said.
Borah also urged the young generation to understand the long-term impact of such decisions on Assam’s language, heritage and cultural continuity. He said that if such policies continue, the people of Assam will be forced to take the matter seriously and respond in a democratic but strong manner.
He said, “I speak today not as a political leader, but as a representative of Assam and its people. This is a threat to our identity, and we cannot remain silent.”
