The Election Commission of India on Wednesday announced that the people, whose names have been excluded in Assam’s NRC, if they have names in the voters’ list, would be able to vote in the ensuing Assam Assembly polls 2021.

This was announced by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora while addressing media persons in a hotel in Guwahati on Wednesday.

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.

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

The Commission reviewed the poll preparedness works of the district election officers, SPs, commissioner of police, divisional commissioners and IGs and also discussed election preparedness with state chief secretary, DGP, home secretary and other senior officials of the state.

The Commission is yet to announce the poll dates.

“Sensitivities about Bihu festival dates will be taken cognizance of and factored in while drawing up the schedule of election dates accordingly,” the CEC said.

“Commission has zero tolerance about misuse of money power or government machinery. In this regard, a specific meeting was held with Enforcement Agencies to crack the whip wherever required,” CEC Arora added.

Kalpajyoti Saikia is Senior Reporter of Northeast Now. He can be reached at: [email protected]