GUWAHATI, April 21 - The APCC today claimed it has proof of the BJP taking recourse to rigging to get its candidate Ranoj Pegu elected in the recently held Dhemaji Legislative Assembly Constituency byelection. It further alleged that the BJP also resorted to extra-legal methods to get Pegu elected and demanded intervention of the Chief Electoral Officer of the State in the matter.
In a statement here, APCC senior spokesman Apurba Kumar Bhattacharjya said the district electoral authorities of Dhemaji stated on April 9, after conclusion of the voting that 1,49,944 voters had cast their votes. But after counting of votes was over on April 13, the electoral authorities showed that 1,50,029 voters had cast their votes. This had raised the number of voters by 85. This leads one to the conclusion that under pressure from the ruling party, the district authorities buckled and the number of the polled votes increased.
Moreover, the district electoral authorities did not initiate any step against a BJP leader who openly distributed money to lure the voters despite a complaint lodged by the Congress in this regard.
There were allegations also of erratic behaviour of the electronic voting machines in 43 polling stations and massive rigging, he alleged and stated that the Congress is contemplating steps to take the issue to the court.
