Arunachal Congress Demands Scrutiny After Major Electoral Roll Revision

Photo Courtesy: India Today Group

Itanagar: The Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee welcomed the final 2026 electoral roll but demanded immediate constituency-wise scrutiny. The party wants full transparency after the state's total voter count plummeted. The final list includes 696,026 electors, down from 887,505 in the pre-revision count. That is a reduction of 191,479 people, or roughly 21.58 percent.

Chief Electoral Officer Pawan Kumar Sain oversaw the massive project. Joint Chief Electoral Officer Liken Koyu joined him alongside various Deputy Commissioners, Booth Level Officers, and agents. The final count lists 343,709 men, 352,315 women, and two third-gender electors. It also counts 5,552 service electors.

The revision started with a draft roll on July 21 containing 718,046 names. Officials found 85,175 unmapped electors during the process. Authorities issued 218,588 verification notices to clear up logical discrepancies. The public filed 18,598 claims and objections. Scrutiny eventually added 8,803 names and cut 1,924 from the draft.

Officials published an Absent, Shifted, Dead, and Duplicate list for those missing from the process. The party acknowledges the need to remove ineligible names. However, they fear valid voters might get swept away by administrative errors. "At the same time, the protection of eligible voters is equally fundamental to the credibility of the electoral process," the APCC stated.

The party called for data on additions and deletions to be public. They flagged specific concerns for border residents, students, and seasonal migrants. The Congress specifically cited a complaint in the 20-Tali Assembly Constituency involving alleged duplicate names and deceased voters still on the list. General Secretary Kon Jirjo Jotham said the party will now check data on a district basis to ensure no genuine voter was left behind.

Updated at 24th September 2026 at 1:49pm

The revision exercise officially began on June 5. Beyond the numbers, the Congress wants authorities to disclose why claims and objections were rejected and push for more granular data on the reasons behind exclusions, such as death or shifting residence. The party emphasized that this level of detail must remain subject to privacy safeguards.

The party specifically highlighted the need to protect elderly citizens, government employees, and defense personnel. They noted that the state's difficult terrain and the seasonal migration of villagers often complicate the verification process. The APCC plans to mobilize its district and block-level units to help voters navigate these hurdles and confirm their status on the final roll.

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