New Delhi: The Congress Party is seeking the cancellation of Tamalpur Assembly elections in Assam after a Bodoland People's Front candidate, Ram Das Basumatary joined BJP.
While addressing the media, Dr Ashwani Kumar said, "We raised 3 issues in front of ECI, today. First, a Bodoland Peoples Front candidate has joined BJP. We believe that he is disentitled to be in any way a part of the electoral process. Therefore, either BPF should be given the right to choose another candidate or the election should be countermand."
BPF had also submitted a memorandum to ECI, in which it named a number of BJP leaders including Assam Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, BJP National President J.P. Nadda, Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal and many others, for allegedly pressurizing and using muscle as well as money power over the BPF’s Tamulpur assembly candidate, Ram Das Basumatary.
"Our appeal was that ECI should use all of its powers to curb ways of alluring voters through bribery and inducement, to maintain purity of democratic elections in our country," Ashwani Kumar asserted.
Congress also raised the matter of the controversy that erupted in Assam after reports emerged late last night of an EVM being transported in a private vehicle belonging to a BJP candidate.
"We demand probe into incident where EVM found in the car of a BJP candidate in Assam. We have been informed that 4 officers have got suspended after the preliminary inquiry and ECI guidelines will be strictly enforced in this matter," Kumar said to the media.
Election Commission has also ordered a repoll for a polling station in the Ratabari Assembly seat of Assam from where the controversy has erupted.
In addition to this, Congress demanded the ECI to order directions for the removal of the Prime Minister's photo from the certificate of COVID-19 vaccine in the states where Assembly polls are underway.
He said, "Lastly, we raised the issue of PM's photo on the COVID-19 vaccine certificates, on which ECI has already given certain directions, ordering the removal of these photos. We urged the ECI to ensure that these directions be complied to within poll-bound States."
