'BJP workers from UP, Bihar will now vote': Gaurav Gogoi alleges influx of 'outsiders' ahead of Assam polls

Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi on April 7 alleged that workers linked to the BJP from other states have entered Assam in large numbers ahead of the Assembly elections, raising concerns over the integrity of the voting process.

Speaking to reporters during a roadshow in Jorhat, where he is contesting his first Assembly election, Gogoi claimed that individuals from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar had been added to the electoral rolls and would participate in voting.

“BJP workers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are coming to Assam in hundreds. Their names had been included in the electoral rolls, and they will now vote. Will we tolerate it? Will they decide our political future?” he said.

He also questioned the role of the state police, alleging that people from outside were entering the poll-bound state “without checking”. Gogoi urged residents to remain alert and monitor developments around polling.

Voting for the 126-member Assam Assembly is scheduled for Thursday. The Congress is attempting to regain power after ten years of BJP-led NDA governance in the state.

Gogoi further accused the ruling government of economic mismanagement and exploitation. “The BJP government has given away our land, indulging in rampant loot of public money, while our people are made to work as slaves. People have to be vigilant against such people,” he said.

Similar concerns were raised by Congress candidate from Dispur, Mira Borthakur Goswami. In a Facebook post, she wrote, “Buses of Bihar have filled the roads! Request to every conscious citizen to keep a watch on the polling centres. It is the duty of the public to stop misdeeds!”

The Congress had earlier questioned the special revision of electoral rolls conducted ahead of the polls. The final electoral roll, published on February 10, recorded 2.49 crore voters, reflecting a 0.97 per cent decrease from the draft list.