SHILLONG, June 17: Meghalaya’s Chief Electoral Officer is facing a credibility test in the Garo Hills after the Garo Students’ Union (GSU) exposed a staggering anomaly where a single household in Phulbari reportedly ballooned from 14 voters to 176—an 1,157% increase that critics say points to a deeper rot in the state’s electoral revision process.
The GSU Phulbari Regional Unit uncovered the discrepancies while scrutinising the 2025 voter list for Kalapani village in the Chibinang area. Beyond the 176-voter household, the union identified another residence where the voter count jumped from four in 2005 to 84 in 2025.
GSU Phulbari president Chuang Neyzer R Marak said the findings warrant an immediate, detailed examination of the rolls. He contended that such spikes are impossible to explain through natural population growth and suggested that deeper scrutiny would likely reveal further discrepancies across the constituency.
The union has demanded a thorough verification of records to protect the integrity of the voter list and prevent “ghost voters” or illegal settlers from influencing future elections.
Responding to the allegations on Wednesday, Chief Electoral Officer BDR Tiwari claimed the revision process is being conducted “strictly in accordance with the law” and the prescribed schedule. Despite the specific data presented by the GSU, Tiwari maintained that the election machinery would ensure transparency and that only genuine voters remain on the rolls.
