- More than 1 lakh people in Assam have been listed as ‘D’ (Dubious or Doubtful) voters and would not be able to vote in the upcoming 2019 Lok Sabha elections. However, Assam’s Chief Election Officer has added that those whose names were not included in the final National Register of Citizens (NRC) draft could still vote if their names were in the electoral rolls.
- The system of ‘D’ (dubious or doubtful) voters was introduced in 1997 by the Election Commission. D voters are those who have been disenfranchised during electoral roll revision for their alleged lack of proper citizenship credentials. Their cases are pending in any Foreigners tribunal in Assam.
- Foreigners Tribunal (FT) was set up in Assam in 1964 through the Foreigners Tribunal Order 1964. The tribunals are mandated with identifying the legal status of suspected foreigners in Assam. At present, there are 100 FTs in Assam.
