Guwahati, April 19: The Assam State Election Commission has directed the Kamrup (Metropolitan) deputy commissioner to conduct an inquiry against chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for alleged violation of the model code of conduct (MCC) during his campaign for the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) elections which are scheduled on April 22.
The move comes in the wake of a complaint lodged by regional party, Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) which alleged that the chief minister had ‘committed electoral offence by resorting to undue influence (corrupt practices) and violation of the model code of conduct (under provisions of the Representation of People’s Act, 1951 and IPC) during his campaign for BJP-led alliance candidates in the GMC elections.
“I am directed to forward herewith a copy of the complaint petition dated April 18, 2022 received from Sanjeev Bora, president, AJP, Kamrup (Metro), and request you to kindly enquire into the matter and furnish a report to this Commission at an early date,” the secretary of Assam State Election Commission, wrote in a letter to the deputy commissioner of the Kamrup (Metropolitan) district.
Newspaper clippings of the speech of the chief minister were enclosed with the letter to the deputy commissioner as “proof of what he said during the election campaign meetings in favour of BJP candidates contesting the GMC elections.”
The AJP, which is a registered unrecognised political party of the state, had in the complaint stated that Sarma has induced voters by offering: firstly an extension of the Orunodoi scheme by including 1000 more persons from each ward, and secondly, by offering Rs 10 crore to each ward for development activities if they vote for the party candidate in power.”
“This is tantamount to a deliberate attempt to interfere with respect to free exercise of electoral rights of voters and an inducement/undue influence to voters within the meaning of Section 123 of the RP Act and Section 171 of the IPC apart from gross violation of the model code of conduct,” Sanjeev Bora, president, AJP, Kamrup (Metro), wrote in the complaint letter to the state election commission.
Bora requested the state election commission to initiate immediate legal/penal action against the chief minister on the grounds stated in the complaint letter in order to uphold the sanctity of the election process and the true spirit of democracy.