Guwahati, May 9: A delegation from the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) met with State Election Commissioner (SEC) Alok Kumar on Friday, urging him to ensure a free and fair counting process for the ongoing panchayat elections.
Following the meeting, APCC president Bhupen Kumar Borah addressed the media and expressed concerns over alleged misuse of power by ruling BJP leaders. “We submitted a memorandum to the SEC demanding impartial conduct during vote counting,” Borah said. “We had been demanding the Panchayat elections for a long time. Though the government delayed the process and we were about to move the Gauhati High Court. However, the elections were announced and we cooperated fully and participated across the state.”
Borah accused several BJP leaders of electoral misconduct. “Lakhimpur MP Pradan Baruah, Jonai MLA Bhuban Pegu, Naduar MLA Padma Hazarika, Minister Ashok Singhal, and others in Barak Valley have used money, muscle power, and police force during the elections. In Nagaon, BJP’s Suresh Borah and other MLAs have done the same,” he alleged.
He further compared the situation to past incidents in Tripura and Bihar, stating, “What’s happening in Assam now—intimidation during nominations, coercion during voting, and calls to violence against opposition workers—is unprecedented in the state’s panchayat elections.”
The APCC has asked the SEC to ensure equal treatment for all parties during the vote count. “The same law must apply to both the ruling and opposition parties. There cannot be two sets of rules—one to help the BJP win and another to suppress the Congress,” Borah said.
He noted that the SEC responded positively and assured the delegation of a transparent and fair counting process. “We will support the SEC if the process is transparent. If there’s any bias, we will protest—peacefully and democratically,” Borah added.
The APCC delegation included MLAs Nandita Das and Subhan Ali Sarkar, vice president Naba Talukdar, general secretaries Bipul Gogoi and Rajesh Joshi, Guwahati City DCC president Gopal Chandra Sarma, and spokesperson Surjya Das.
