Rakibul Hussain moves Election Commission against former Nagaon DC Debashis Sharma

The Assam Congress on Friday, September 4, sought the Election Commission’s intervention over reports that the BJP may field former Nagaon Deputy Commissioner Devasish Sharma in the forthcoming Nagaon Lok Sabha by-election, arguing that his recent role as district commissioner-cum-district election officer could raise questions over the neutrality of the poll.

 

The BJP, however, said it had a prescribed process for selecting candidates and pointed out that Sharma had not yet joined the party.

 

State Congress president Gaurav Gogoi raised the issue on social media, while party MP Rakibul Hussain wrote to the Election Commission seeking an inquiry into Sharma’s tenure as Deputy Commissioner.

 

Gogoi said the Election Commission should urgently intervene in the bypoll, citing reports of Sharma’s resignation and his alleged plans to contest the election on a BJP ticket.

 

The Congress alleged that Sharma, while serving as DC-cum-DEO, had handled several “sensitive aspects” of the electoral process in Nagaon and that decisions taken during his tenure could have a bearing on the neutrality of the bypoll.

 

The party also raised allegations of irregularities in the allocation and implementation of 15th Finance Commission funds at the gram panchayat level.

 

Gogoi sought an independent and time-bound inquiry into Sharma’s tenure and the allegations concerning the use of administrative influence in the implementation of the funds.

 

In his letter to the EC, Hussain said Sharma’s resignation during the election process, coupled with reports about his possible political candidature, warranted an independent examination of his conduct and activities while in office.

 

Hussain said he had earlier written to the Commission on August 30, citing media reports and social media posts about Sharma’s possible candidature.

 

He sought a review and scrutiny of all material, election-related decisions and actions taken during Sharma’s tenure, particularly those that could have a bearing on the bypoll.

 

The Congress MP also urged the Commission to take up the matter with the competent authority and ensure that Sharma’s resignation was not accepted until the allegations and circumstances surrounding his conduct were examined, subject to applicable service rules and law.

 

He further sought appropriate action if the allegations were established.

 

The Nagaon Lok Sabha by-election has been necessitated by the resignation of Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi, who quit the party to join the BJP ahead of the Assam Assembly election in April. Bordoloi is now the MLA from Dispur.

 

Reacting to the Congress allegations, Assam BJP spokesperson Kamal Medhi said the party followed a set procedure for selecting candidates and that aspirants had to meet the requisite criteria.

 

“Moreover, Sharma has not joined our party yet,” Medhi said.

 

He added that Sharma, as a former bureaucrat, was welcome to join the BJP like any other individual, but the decision on the party’s candidate for the Nagaon bypoll would be taken according to its established procedure.

(Inputs from PTI)