Not bothered if is called blackmailing;APCC chief

Guwahati: Assam Pradesh Congress Commit-tee (APCC) president Anjan Dutta while campaigning for the party candidates contesting Urban civic bodies election which is being held on February 9, reiterated that any urban civic body in the state where Congress is not being elected to power would not be provided with a penny from the Rs 1000 crore development fund promised by the state government for civic bodies.
“The Congress government in the state will ensure that non-Congress urban civic bodies are not given development fund. Some quarters may have accused us for black mailing the voters because of this stand taken by the party, but we are not much bothered,” Dutta said.
The BJP had already lodged a complaint with Assam state election commission against Congress party accusing the later of flouting poll code of conduct after chief minister Tarun Gogoi promised Rs 1000 crore development fund for urban civic bodies just before the civic bodies polls.
It was learnt that in response to a notice served by the state election commission in this regard, the Congress explained that it was a promised made by Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) but not on behalf of the state government. The state poll panel is yet to pronounce its stand in respect of the complaint against the ruling Congress.
The ruling Congress is being challenged by the BJP in most of the urban civic bodies wards in this
election. The Congress and the BJP have fielded candidates in all the 746 wards of 32 Municipal Boards and 42 Town Committees for February 9 election. Other frontline parties in the fray include All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) and Asom Gana Parishad (AGP). The outcome of civic bodies election willbe crucial for the parties given that the next Assembly election in the state is being held in early
next year.