Assam Assembly Election 2021: People Excluded from NRC can Vote

GUWAHATI: The Election Commission of India said people of Assam whose names are excluded from the National Register of Citizens (NRC) will be able to vote in the upcoming Assam Assembly Elections 2021.

Citizens will be able to vote if they have names in the voters' list.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora while addressing media persons said that Bihu festival dates as well the CBSE board exams in the state will be taken into consideration before deciding on the schedule of election and is likely to be over by May 4.

Meanwhile, according to NRC data, around 19,06,657 people have been excluded from the list in Assam out of 3,30,27,661 applicants while a total of 3,11,21,004 names were included.

CEC Sunil Arora has been in Assam along with two other Election Commissioners on a three-day visit to review the poll preparedness.

Further CEC added, "In view of COVID-19 social distancing norms, the Commission has specifically revisited some extant norms. As a result, the maximum number of electors at a polling station has been reduced from 1500 to 1000."

"Accordingly for Assam, the number of polling stations would go up by about 5000 and are likely to be more than 33000 for forthcoming elections," he added.

During the three-day visit at Guwahati, the CEC will hold separate meetings with the Chief Secretary, the Home Secretary, the DGP and other senior officials of the State; Chief Electoral Officer and Police Nodal Officer of Assam; leaders of political parties; election-related Central and State Regulatory authorities.

CEC Sunil Arora will also interact with the District Election Officers and SPs of the State.

The other members of the delegation are Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra; Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar; DG, ECI Dharmendra Sharma; DEC Chandra Bhusan Kumar; ADG, PIB and spokesperson Sheyphail B Sharan; Senior Principal Secretary Narendra N Butolia; Director of Expenditure Pankaj Srivastava and EVM Consultant Vipin Katara, a press release said.

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