CM Himanta tells assembly of 99,942 doubtful voters of Assam

Guwahati: There are currently 99,942 doubtful voters (D-voters) in Assam, while over 33,000 such people have been declared foreigners since 2017, the state assembly was informed on Monday.

D-voters are those who could not provide proof of their Indian citizenship.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma while replying to a question by Congress MLA Abdul Rashid Mandal said that the number of D-voters in the state is 99,942 as on February 1.

Sonitpur and Barpeta districts topped the chart with 15,835 and 15,232 D voters respectively.
The number of cases pending before the Foreigners Tribunal to determine the citizenship of these persons as on February 1, 2023 is 1,05,826. 1,41,553, Sarma said.

During the same period, 15,151 D-voters were declared Indian citizens and 33,033 foreigners by the FTs, Sarma, who also holds the Home Department, added.
The issue of D-voters is one of the most controversial topics in the political and social arena of Assam. Many elections have been fought and won on the single issue of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, whose names are initially marked as D-voters when they appear on electoral rolls.
The concept of D-voters was introduced by the Election Commission of Assam in 1997. It does not exist anywhere else in India.