BJP trying to retain power through ‘tenant voters’: Assam Cong

Guwahati, Jan 16 (PTI) The Assam Congress on Friday alleged that the BJP was attempting to retain power in the Assembly elections with the help of "tenant voters".

It also claimed that the ruling party was indulging in ‘vote chori’ and deleting the names of anti-BJP voters, citing instances of ‘wrongly exclusion’ of names from electoral rolls in Biswanath Assembly constituency.

Addressing a press conference, state Mahila Congress president Mira Borthakur said, "The government’s report card is so poor that the BJP is now trying to use the EC to retain power." She alleged that the saffron party was trying to replicate the Bihar–Haryana model in Assam by forming a government with the help of "tenant voters".

She claimed that many BJP leaders and workers, angered by the oppression and corruption under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, are in constant touch with the Congress to join the party.

Reiterating the accusation that BJP has hatched a conspiracy to delete names of voters, Borthakur claimed that more than 70 eligible electors have been struck off the rolls at polling station no. 133 in Kumalia area of Biswanath by falsely declaring them as deceased.

She alleged the involvement of a BJP leader and a supporter in this purported attempt to delete names of living voters.

She pointed out that a majority of the people whose names were listed as dead are Muslim citizens.

"Many of them have been exercising their voting rights for years, and several are even young voters around 30 years of age," the state Mahila Congress chief added.

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