Assam By polls: Congress accuses CM of assassinating democracy in name of election campaign

GUWAHATI: Ahead of the By polls in Assam, Leader of Opposition of Assam assembly Debabrata Saikia has accused Assam Chief Minister of smothering the democracy in the name of election campaign. The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee submitted a memorandum to CEO Election Commission Assam on the issue of CM Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma violating model code of conduct.

In a video message, Saikia accused the Chief Minister for flouting the model code of conduct of election campaigning.

In a letter, Saikia urged the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Anup Chandra Pandey to bar the Chief Minister from campaigning for the upcoming by polls scheduled to be slated on October 30. The elections will take place in five assembly consitituencies.

“During the campaign, the Chief Minister at Bhawanipur constituency pointed to a person in public and said he should be given a house and also asked that whosoever is responsible for allocation of houses in that locality to provide him with a house under the PMAY. As there is a clear-cut policy for allotment of PMAY houses, the Chief Minister isn’t supposed to and authorised to allot any house.  The Chief Minister publicly said the person has no house and he should be given a house, going beyond existing official guidelines to identify persons who are suitable and who are not for allotment of a PMAY house,” the letter read.

Saikia stated that the Chief Minister's action will give an idea to the people that they will be alloted house if they attend the meeting which is a sheer violation of the model code of conduct.

He further stressed on Chief Minister's remark that there is always a higher chance of development of a constituency if it is governed by an MLA of the ruling party.

"During the filing of nomination by the candidate of Thowra in Sivasagar, the Chief Minister had stated his intention to develop Thowra but added that it would not be possible if the MLA is from opposition Congress,” added Saikia.

Saikia further alleged that the at Bhabanipur, Chief Minister even went to state that an amount of Rs 2000 cr will be invested for developmental projects if the MLA belongs to the ruling party

He had also said publicly that as a precondition the opposition MLA had submitted a 32-point charter of demands and he has accepted all without even reading it as the MLA had decided to quit the opposition and join the ruling BJP,” he alleged.

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