The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) on Friday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of attempting to manipulate the electoral process in the Biswanath Assembly constituency by seeking the deletion of names of living voters after falsely declaring them dead.
Addressing a press conference at Rajiv Bhawan, Assam Pradesh Mahila Congress president Mira Borthakur alleged that efforts were made at Polling Station No. 133 in the Kumalia area to remove the names of more than 70 voters by submitting Form 7 applications to the Election Commission. She claimed that BJP leader Jiten Saikia, along with another party supporter, was allegedly involved in the move.
Borthakur displayed 79 Form 7 applications during the press meet, alleging that the documents falsely described living voters as deceased. She further claimed that most of those targeted belonged to the Muslim community and were Indian citizens who had been exercising their voting rights for several years, including voters as young as 30 years of age.
Accusing the BJP of weakening democratic institutions, the Mahila Congress leader alleged that the ruling party was resorting to such practices in a bid to retain power. She claimed that despite heavy borrowing and extensive publicity, the BJP-led government has failed to address key issues affecting the public.
Borthakur also asserted that the tenure of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was nearing its end and claimed that the next government in Assam would be formed under the leadership of Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi. She accused the BJP of misleading indigenous Assamese people in the name of safeguarding “jati, mati, bheti,” alleging that promises related to Scheduled Tribe status had not been fulfilled.
Further, she alleged that the BJP was attempting to follow a “Bihar–Haryana model” by depending on what she termed “tenant voters.” According to her, growing dissatisfaction within the BJP due to corruption and poor governance has led several party leaders and workers to establish contact with the Congress. She also claimed that credible pre-poll surveys indicate strong public support for Gaurav Gogoi as the next Chief Minister of Assam.
