People excluded from NRC can vote in the ensuing Assam Assembly polls 2021: CEC

Jan. 20: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India Sunil Arora along with Election Commissioners of India Sushil Chandra and Rajiv Kumar arrived in Assam on Monday on a 3-day visit to review poll preparedness for the upcoming elections to the Assam Legislative Assembly. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora while addressing media persons in a hotel in Guwahati on Wednesday announced that People whose names have been excluded in the National Register of Citizens (NRC) will be able to vote in the upcoming Assam Assembly Elections 2021.

The final National Register of Citizens (NRC) excluded 19,06,657 persons in Assam. A total of 3,11,21,004 names were included in the NRC out of 3,30,27,661 applicants. The CEC 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 the process of election is likely to be over by May 4.

The Commission reviewed the poll preparedness work with officials of different departments. In view of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, 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. It has been ensured that all auxiliary polling stations are located at ground level and in the vicinity of the main polling station. The Commission is yet to announce the poll dates.