BJP creating fear psychosis among voters: Congress tells ECI, urges rigging prevention

Guwahati, Nov 8: The Principal Opposition Congress party on Friday urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to take steps for the installation of CCTVs and the deployment of central paramilitary forces in the sensitive polling booths of the five Legislative Assembly Constituencies (LACs) of Assam slated to go for bye-elections on November 13.

Bye-elections will be held at Behali, Samaguri, Sidli, Dholai, and Bongaigaon.

Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Bhupen Kumar Borah and the Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly Debabrata Saikia sent a memorandum to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and the Election Commissioners (ECs) of the ECI in this regard. "The goons and supporters of the ruling party have created a fear psychosis among the common voters by way of vandalism and threatening (sic), which is detrimental to free-and-fair elections. A large number of polling booths are very sensitive, and there is a likelihood of booth capture and rigging by the goons and supporters of the ruling party. These goons and supporters of the ruling party are openly saying that they will only allow the voters to cast votes in favor of their candidates. Since October 18, violent poll-related incidents have been happening, as reported by our MLAS Sibamoni Bora, Nurul Huda, Aftabuddin Mollah, and others. There is reasonable apprehension that the ruling party will be involved in booth capturing and rigging, which is apparent from the fact that the state government transferred five police officials and released them on November 5, 2024, from Nagaon district in violation of Sections 44 and 45 of the Assam Police Act, 2007," the memorandum stated.

The Congress party alleged that the police and local administration have done "nothing to prevent such unlawful activities and did not take any action against the culprits.".

"You are humbly requested to direct the concerned officials (i) to install adequate numbers of CCTVs and make necessary security arrangements by deploying paramilitary forces to ensure free and fair election, (ii) to restrain the voters, polling agents, and officials from entering the polling booths with mobile phones to ensure that the polling process of any voter cannot be captured by mobile phones, and (iii) to revert back the police officials to their places of posting who have been transferred in total violation of law and without any permission and/or direction from the ECI," Borah and Saikia stated in their memorandum to the Commission.

By-

Staff Reporter