Ex-NRC Coordinator Urges ECI to Use ‘Family Tree Matching’ for Assam Voter Verification

Former NRC State Coordinator Hitesh Dev Sarma has urged the Election Commission of India to adopt key NRC verification methods—especially “Family Tree Matching”—in the ongoing revision of Assam’s electoral roll. In a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner, Sarma emphasized that Assam faces a deeper threat from illegal immigration than other states and warned that standard verification methods may fall short.

He explained how “Family Tree Matching,” used during the NRC update, effectively detected false lineage claims by comparing family details of descendants from pre-1971 legacy citizens. Sarma urged the ECI to seek Supreme Court approval to access NRC data for this purpose and stressed that without such methods, authenticating voters in Assam would be flawed. He also welcomed the appointment of Vivek Joshi, who was involved in the NRC process, as an Election Commissioner, expressing hope for a more accurate voter list.