Ripun Bora alleges BJP-EC collusion to manipulate voter lists

Guwahati, July 13: Former Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Ripun Bora on Sunday levelled serious allegations against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing it of collaborating with the Election Commission of India (ECI) to manipulate voter lists and rig elections.

Addressing a press conference, Bora claimed that since 2014, the BJP has been winning elections through different tactics — starting with false promises and misinformation, then leveraging money power, and now allegedly resorting to voter list manipulation.

" Since 2014, the BJP’s modus operandi has changed every election. First, they won through fake promises and communal propaganda. The second time, money power came into play. Now, when both no longer work, the BJP has devised a new technique," Bora said.

Referring to the November 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections, Bora claimed that the BJP used fake voter lists with the ECI’s help. "In Maharashtra, they included nearly 48 lakh fake voters — people brought in from neighbouring states. There was one constituency where 7,000 voters were listed under a single household. In about 50 constituencies, the number of voters increased by nearly 50,000 each — which is impossible under normal summary revisions," he said.

Bora accused the ECI of ignoring complaints about these irregularities and said similar tactics were now being prepared for the upcoming Bihar elections.

"The ECI announced an intensive voter list revision in Bihar, which is practically impossible for over 8 crore voters in just four months. They know people, mostly opposition supporters, will fail to submit the required documents, and their names will be struck off. It’s a conspiracy to disenfranchise genuine voters," Bora alleged.

Turning to Assam, the Congress leader warned that the same strategy could soon be used here.

"In Assam, the BJP will use both the Maharashtra and Bihar models. They are branding thousands of people as ‘D-voters’ and illegal Bangladeshis to strike their names off the list. Meanwhile, they will add paid BJP voters from other regions. We want the Election Commission to protect democracy and ensure the sanctity of the Constitution. We will train our grassroots activists to raise awareness so that voters are not cheated of their rights.," Bora said.

Bora also questioned the Election Commission’s credibility.

"Earlier, CCTV footage of elections was preserved for up to a year. Now, it’s only kept for 45 days. Every opposition party in the country has raised concerns about the ECI working as ‘His Master’s Voice’ for the ruling party. The Commission must remain neutral and serve ‘We the People’," he said.

APCC Media Department in-charge Charan Singh Chapra added, "Delhi, Haryana, Maharashtra, Bihar — the BJP is using different election models to stay in power. The same will be tried in Assam if we don’t remain vigilant."

Bora concluded by appealing to voters and civil society to remain alert and proactive. "We have seen how the BJP wins by dividing people and using government machinery. This time, we will not let them manipulate the voter list to win elections in Assam," he said.