Babur Ali, 62, and his son Mukaddas Ali, 33, were among the approximately 350 people who had gathered outside two polling stations — Sonapur Pathar Lower Primary School and a government facility at Kachutali Part 1 — in central Assam’s Kamrup Metropolitan district on April 9. They hoped against hope that the officials beyond the Lakshman Rekha, a line at least 300 metres from the entrance to each polling booth, which they were told not to cross, would restore their voting rights. These 350 women and men represented more than 2,000 people across three parts of Kachutali, who had ceased to exist as voters after the Special Revision (SR) of electoral rolls was conducted in Assam between November 2025 and February 2026.

All the adults of Babur’s 15-member family demonstrated outside the Sonapur Pathar Lower Primary School, barring his youngest son, Samsul. Around the same time, 20-year-old Samsul cast his vote at a booth in the Chenga Assembly constituency of western Assam’s Barpeta district.