GUWAHATI, March 23 � Convenience of commuters seemed to be the last thing on the minds of politicians as the common man today was subjected to a harrowing time on the city roads, thanks to the processions leading to the Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Kamrup (Metro) for filing of nominations for the ensuing Assembly elections during the peak hours.
While Congress candidate from Dispur Akon Bora was the first one to trigger the chaos on the busy GNB Road, his counterpart from the same constituency Atul Bora (senior) from Asom Gana Parishad was also not to be left far behind with hundreds of followers making a beeline to the DC's office.
Both the political heavyweights, to the utter dismay of the commuters, choose the peak hours to exhibit their fan following leaving the common man stranded for hours.
The plight of the commuters further aggravated with political parties which hired several buses to facilitate transportation of their supporters from far-flung areas resorting to haphazard parking of the vehicles on either side of the GNB Road.
It needs mention that as per the guidelines of the Election Commission, candidates have been barred from driving in more than five vehicles within a 100-metre radius from the office of the Returning Officer/Assistant Returning Officer.
The CrPC, which is still in force in Kamrup (Metro) in view of the Assembly election, however, has been relaxed for political rallies and processions.
Those worst affected by the processions include students, teachers and office-goers who had a nightmarish experience before they could reach their respective destinations.
Nimati Phukan (name changed), a TDC first-year student of Handique Girls' College, while cursing her stars, rued, "I had my exams today but due to the traffic jam, I could not reach the exam venue on time. I was stuck near Silpukhuri for almost 30 minutes after which I decided to walk my way out."
"The political processions brought vehicular traffic to a standstill in the afternoon and commuters had to sweat it out in the heat for over an hour but there is no accountability on the part of anyone," opined Bikash Sarma, an aggrieved commuter.
Meanwhile, Dr J Balaji, Deputy Commissioner, Kamrup (Metro), when asked, told The Assam Tribune that though the candidates had secured permission for the procession, it was clearly intimated that the same should not cause inconvenience to the commuters or public in general.
"If anyone reports to us formally, we would definitely look into the matter and take necessary action," Dr Balaji assured.
