Guwahati, March 21: Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Bhupen Kumar Borah has urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to take “strict action” against Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for allegedly “violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC)”.
“The Chief Minister of Assam on March 18, 2024, while addressing the media, had claimed that all the candidates of Indian National Congress party will join BJP if he wishes. He further commented that all Congress candidates will join BJP even if they win the election and therefore there is no point in casting votes in favour of Congress. The statement of the Chief Minister of Assam got wide publicity and it is sending a wrong message amongst voters in general,” Borah wrote in a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC).
“This, according to us, is in violation of Model Code of Conduct on two counts: (a) by making such outrageously false statement which is not backed by any proof, he is trying to influence the voters’ choice which is not in accordance with the Model Code of Conduct; (b) by making the said statements he is also trying to lure Congress candidates which again is not in tune with the conduct of free and fair election,” the APCC chief further stated.
“We hope the Election Commission of India, by maintaining impartiality, will initiate action against the Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma,” the Congress leader urged.
Last Monday, both Congress and TMC had accused the BJP-led government in Assam of violating the MCC, which came into force after the parliamentary elections across the country were announced by the ECI on Saturday evening.
In separate letters to the CEC, the Assam PCC president and Assam TMC chief had stated that despite the MCC coming into force, the Assam government had not yet removed advertisements and publicity material with the photographs of the Prime Minister and chief minister.