Allegations about threats, money- power charge up atmosphere ahead of panchayat polls in Assam

The Opposition party alleged that their candidates were being threatened by police at the "command" of CM Himanta Biswa Sarma to withdraw from the polls.

Guwahati: Allegations of threat and use of money-power has charged up the political atmosphere in Assam ahead of panchayat polls scheduled on May 2 and 7.

With the ruling BJP claiming that Congress was offering tickets in lieu of money, the Opposition party on Thursday alleged that their candidates were being threatened by police at the "command" of CM Himanta Biswa Sarma to withdraw from the polls. The party also alleged that BJP was offering money to Congress candidates for withdrawal of candidature.

"BJP is scared to face the elections as people are fed up with their misrule and are ready to give a reply in the panchayat polls. BJP fears an embarassement ahead of the Assembly elections next year. So the Himanta Biswa Sarma is using police to harass our candidates and workers and forcing them to withdraw from the race," Bhupen Kumar Borah, president of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) told reporters on Thursday.

Borah and Pradyot Bordoloi, another senior leader and Lok Sabha member from Nagaon, led party workers, who staged a protest against alleged harassment of their party candidates.

"Husbands of our women candidates are being booked in false cases, forcefully taken to police stations and are being pressurised for withdrawal of candidature of their wives," Bordoloi said. "I raised the issue with DGP Harmeet Singh two days ago but no steps have been taken yet."

The voters are expected to elect 21,920 gram panchayat members, 2,192 gram panchayat presidents, gram panchayat vice-presidents and anchalik panchayat members each, 181 anchalik presidents and anchalik panchayat vice-presidents each, and 397 zila panchayat members.

Walk-over for BJP?

Rejecting the allegations, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday told reporters that Congress was making baseless allegations as the party is shy of facing the voters. "Congress seems to have given up the fight as our candidates are already set to win in several Zila Parishad, Anchalik Panchayats and Gram Panchayats uncontested. People have seen the kind of development we have done in the past few years and we hope to win the panchayat polls with record numbers," Sarma said.

Test before Assembly polls

The panchayat polls are significant ahead of elections for Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) slated later this year and next year's Assembly elections. BJP and its allies Asom Gana Parishad and United People's Party Liberal (a party leading BTC) have announced to contest the Assembly polls together while the uncertainty looms about possibility of Opposition unity. Congress had contested the Lok Sabha polls with seat sharing arrangements with Asom Jatiya Parishad and Raijor Dal, a regional party led by MLA Akhil Gogoi. The alliance, however, collapsed before the by-polls a few moths ago.