Kohima: Voters in Dimapur and Chümoukedima are losing their right to cast ballots. The Dimapur District Congress Committee blamed the loss on the ongoing Special Intensive Revision. DDCC President Kutoho Chishi and AICC Observer Banna Gupta held a press conference on October 30 to condemn the process. The party claims long-term residents are being targeted.
Chishi argued that residents who have lived in the region since 2005 should not have to register in their ancestral villages. He rejected the notion that families established for decades must abandon their local franchise. "Dimapur is where people built their livelihoods. After living here for twenty-one years, to tell someone they cannot vote where they reside and must go back to their father's village is out of the question," Chishi stated. He warned the Election Commission against using clerical errors as an excuse to delete voters.
Congress officials are now mobilizing to protect residents. Booth-level agents will assist voters in submitting claims and verifying records. Chishi urged colony councils to remain neutral and assist in confirming the status of bonafide residents.
The AICC alleges foul play. Banna Gupta accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of manipulating government machinery to influence electoral outcomes. He claimed the current Chief Election Commission is failing to protect the sanctity of the ballot compared to the tenure of TN Seshan. Gupta said the Congress intends to hit the streets in protest, starting with a November 1 INDIA bloc rally in New Delhi.
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