Guwahati, April 5: Assam Congress has asked party members to “refrain from talking about or commenting on the issue of cross voting by the party’s legislators during the Rajya Sabha election in the state last Thursday.
In a statement to the media, chairman of Congress disciplinary action committee and senior spokesman of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), Bharat Chandra Narah said, “It has come to my notice that some of the senior party leaders, including MLAs have been indulging in loose talk and alleging ‘cash for vote’ during the voting and also exchange of money during the selection of party candidate for Rajya Sabha, thus bringing bad name to the party without getting any positive result.”
Both the Rajya Sabha seats in the state were bagged by the ruling BJP and its ally, United Peoples Party Liberal (UPPL), with some Opposition party leaders openly alleging that some legislators from the party had indulged in “cash-for-vote.”
BJP’s Pabitra Margherita and UPPL’s Rwngwra Narzary bagged 46 votes and 44 votes respectively to be elected to the Rajya Sabha from Assam, while Ripun Bora, who was the consensus candidate of the Opposition (Congress, AIUDF, CPI (M) and Raijor Dal) could secure only 35 votes to be out of contention.
Narah had issued the statement after some senior Congress leaders went on record alleging that seven of their MLAs had taken cash to vote for the two NDA candidates. Some leaders also alleged that there was an exchange of money before selection of the lone party candidate, Ripun Bora.
“During a discussion with APCC president Bhupen Kumar Bora, I felt he was highly concerned about the issue and also expressed his displeasure on it. He also said that such behaviour by our members and leaders also amounts to breach of party discipline and tarnishes the party image,” Narah said.
IANS