Assam Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah on Wednesday, 14 October 2026, called for a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls every five years in Assam, arguing the periodic exercise is the only reliable mechanism to ensure no foreign national's name persists on the state's voter list. The demand comes amid an ongoing political debate in Assam over voter eligibility, citizenship verification, and illegal immigration.

What Mallabaruah Said

'Everyone wants an SIR in Assam. Not a single foreigner's name should remain on Assam's voter list,' the minister stated, framing the demand as a broad public consensus rather than a partisan position. He anchored his argument in the state's turbulent history, citing the six-year anti-foreigners agitation from 1979 to 1985 as evidence that Assam has long-standing, historically grounded reasons to demand rigorous scrutiny of electoral rolls.

That agitation culminated in the signing of the Assam Accord in 1985, which centred on identifying illegal immigrants and addressing their presence in the electorate. Mallabaruah's invocation of the Accord signals an attempt to root his demand in a politically unifying historical moment rather than purely in current Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) politics.

The SIR Debate in Context

The call for a regular SIR cycle adds a new dimension to a debate that has defined Assam's politics for decades. Notably, any decision on the frequency and implementation of such revisions ultimately rests with competent electoral authorities — the Election Commission of India (ECI) — under the applicable legal framework, and is not within the unilateral powers of any state minister.

This is not the first time the issue of foreigners on Assam's voter rolls has surfaced as a flashpoint. The state has previously undertaken the National Register of Citizens (NRC) process, which concluded in 2019 and excluded approximately 19 lakh residents from its final list — a figure that itself remains contested and is subject to ongoing legal proceedings.

Attack on the Opposition Over EVMs

Mallabaruah also directed sharp criticism at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Opposition parties over their allegations concerning electronic voting machines (EVMs) and demands for a return to ballot paper voting. He alleged that the Congress consistently questions the electoral process only after losing elections.

'Congress never stands with the public, which is why they keep losing. And after losing, they blame EVMs, sometimes ballot papers, or make other excuses,' Mallabaruah said. The Congress and allied Opposition parties have raised concerns about electoral transparency and EVM functioning, making it a recurring point of contention with the ruling establishment.

Rally Claims and CAA Remarks

Speaking about the Jan Jagaran Samdal rally held in Nalbari on Tuesday, the minister claimed that BJP-led governments at the Centre and in Assam were drawing growing support from women and young voters. Organisers claimed attendance of more than 30,000 people at the rally, though that figure has not been independently verified.

Mallabaruah also criticised groups opposed to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), alleging that their stance ran contrary to the country's broader national interest — a charge opponents of the Act firmly dispute. With elections and citizenship politics continuing to intersect in Assam, the minister's demand for a five-year SIR cycle is likely to sharpen the existing fault lines between the ruling party and the Opposition.