GUWAHATI, April 11 - The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) today claimed that it would be able to perform as per expectations in the second phase of polls. The party also alleged that the officials engaged by the Election Commission (EC) were functioning in a partisan way and helped the BJP.
Talking to The Assam Tribune, APCC president Anjan Dutta said that the Congress contested in 57 of 61 constituencies, which went to the polls in the second phase today, while the party left four seats to its alliance partner UPP. He said that the Congress would win at least 30 seats in the second phase of polls.
Replying to a question on whether the high turnout indicated the people�s wish for a change of Government, Dutta said that earlier the voters� lists contained names of a large number of people who already died. But that was not the case this time, and that is why the voter turnout seemed higher. He also said that the turnout did not indicate people�s feelings for a change in Government.
Dutta said that the people have not forgotten the misrule during the AGP regime, while everyone knows about the activities of the BPF in the BTC area. The BJP suffered by forging an alliance with the AGP. Moreover, Himanta Biswa Sarma�s recent comment that 1951 would be the cut-off date for detection of foreigners created confusion in the minds of the religious and linguistic minorities and they voted for the Congress in the second phase of polls, he added.
Though the AIUDF did very well in the last Assembly polls in lower Assam, Dutta claimed that the minorities have realised the game plan of the party and did not support the party. He went on to claim that AIUDF chief Badaruddin Ajmal himself might lose the polls.
On the role of the EC, Dutta said that the Congress would lodge a formal complaint with the Chief Election Commissioner in this regard. He said that some of the officials engaged in the election process were acting in a totally partisan manner and such activities would not be tolerated. �The Congress will lodge a formal complaint and demand action against officials who played a partisan role during the poll process,� he added.
